Born For This
by Gamer-Otaku Takara
Summary: "Everybody live like it's the last day you will ever see!" Rayne Faulkener has been a "delinquent" since she was in high school. She joined a gang, and they were constantly getting into trouble. But who could have guessed that brawling in a thunderstorm would suddenly send her into her favorite video game? This "Ice Queen" is in for a few surprises. Kolyat/OC minor FemShep/Joker
1. Chapter 1

**Hellooooo there! I've just gotten the Mass Effect trilogy recently, and I am REALLY into it. I've beaten the first and second one, and I'm already close to beating the third. I love Thane, but when I first saw his son, I instantly fell in love with him too. I'm disappointed that Kolyat wasn't made into a bigger character (like, a possible squadmate...(; ), and this idea has been circulating in my head for awhile, so I decided to make a Kolyat love story of my own! I hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer:**** Bioware owns anything Mass Effect related. I own the characters I make up. I'm sure you can tell the difference. XD**

Born For This.

Chapter One: When Gang-fights Get...Flashy.

"Yo, Ray! Get your ass over here!"

Rayne looked up at the impatient woman standing a few feet away from her. Reluctantly, she got up from her cozy spot under a tree, and walked over to her. "Yes? What's the matter?" she asked, giving the woman an expressionless gaze.

"You were at the bar when that Blood Pack wannabe harassed one of our girls, weren'tcha?" she asked, a seemly permanent scowl on her face.

Rayne nodded, remaining expressionless. "I was…don't worry about it, Eli. I taught that foolish man that Eclipse is not to be taken lightly."

Eli smirked. "So I heard. Almost put the bastard in the hospital, eh? Atta girl." She turned serious again. "Anyway, Xavier's demanding for you to be punished for…violation of the treaty? Yeah, something like that. He says that beating up one of his boys violates that retarded treaty between Eclipse and the Blood Pack."

**Pardon the interruption. Hello there, beloved reader! This is your author speaking. I'm sure that, at this point, you are completely confused as to what's going on here. Don't you worry, I've come to clear some things up! The main character of this story is a 26-year-old woman named Rayne Faulkener. She's about 5'8", with short, angled red (and I mean BLOOD red) hair and extremely pale blue eyes. Her skin is slightly tanned, and—for the most part—she's got the build of an athlete. Rayne is part of an all-female gang called Eclipse, and she's been running with them since she was 15 years old. That was actually when the gang first formed. Rayne was rather infamous at her school for being…well, incredibly creepy. Some people like to refer to her as "kuudere": to most people, she is as cold as ice…and, when someone threatens her or someone she cares about, she can beat them to a pulp without batting an eye. She is prepared to kill for her loved ones, and no one doubts that she can do it. No one can tell when she's angry, until they end up on the receiving end of her fist. They even nicknamed her "the Ice Queen". Although, she has a soft side to her…but she ONLY shows that kind side to people she TRULY cares for. Everyone who knew what she was capable of was extremely careful not to piss her off…except for a few other girls. They were impressed by her, and one day, they approached Rayne, begging her to join the gang they were putting together. She agreed, figuring that she had nothing better to do, and they asked her for her advice on what they should call themselves. Being a hard-core gamer, Rayne immediately thought of Mass Effect, and suggested that they call themselves Eclipse. In response to the uprising of a female gang, an all-male gang rose up around the same time. Following their example, the rival gang called itself the Blood Pack. After years of constantly fighting each other, the two gangs decided to put an end to the war…but this "treaty" was fragile from the start.**

"And…?" Rayne drawled, eyebrow slightly raised.

"And," Eli said, "He's taking a group of his idiots to the alley by the park. He wants you to come with me and a few others to…meet up with them."

The crimson-haired woman's eyes flashed. "…I see. In that case, I would be delighted to come along."

Eli grinned. "I knew I could count on you. Xavier's in for an ass-kicking he won't soon forget." She turned around and started walking away, the black trenchcoat with a moon on the back (Eclipse's symbol) blowing behind her. "Let's not keep him waiting." Rayne silently followed her, pulling her own Eclipse coat a little tighter around her. Looking up at the darkening sky, she vaguely noticed dark storm clouds in the distance…

*SCENE CHANGE*

"Elizabeth…I was startin' to think you weren't comin'," said the smug voice of Xavier as Rayne, Eli, and the rest of their group entered the alley.

"It's Eli," snapped the Eclipse leader. "And I would never pass up the chance to whoop your pansy ass."

Xavier smirked, giving a careless shrug. "Sorry to disappoint, but I didn't come here for you." His eyes drifted over to Rayne. "A certain bitch of yours messed up one of my boys. Cole?" A tall, blonde-haired man emerged from the group, glaring at the ground. _He's ashamed, _Rayne thought with amusement. _Being put in his place by a woman wounded his pride. _He had a large, dark black eye, his lip was swollen and crusted with dried blood, and there were several other bruises on his arms and chest. He also walked a little funny, suggesting that something hit him where the sun doesn't shine…and it hit him hard. "Care to explain that, wench?" Xavier snarled.

"Certainly," Rayne said calmly. "That 'boy' was harassing one of our newest sisters, so I put him in his place."

"Oh, really? Is that true, Cole?"

"No, sir," he muttered. "I wasn't harassin' nobody. I ain't guilty of nothin'."

"Your lack of proper English is charming," Rayne said sarcastically, "But I'm afraid you ARE guilty. Janice, if you would step forward…" A girl with long black hair walked up to stand beside Rayne. "This is the man that harassed you, yes?" she asked, gesturing to Cole.

"You betcha," the teen said angrily. "That bastard was gropin' me and tryin' to get me to come home with 'im! He grabbed me and was about to drag me out before Ms. Faulkener stepped in." She looked up at the emotionless woman with eyes shining in admiration. "You were amazing!"

Rayne smirked. "Thank you." She looked back at Xavier. "What does the Blood Pack have to say to that?"

"You bitches are all liars and cowards!" Xavier snarled. "Your own leader can't even speak for her gang!"

"I can speak for Eclipse just fine," Eli snapped. "Rayne and Janice know what happened at that bar, so they're the ones speakin' right now."

Xavier snorted. "You expect me to take the word of a couple Eclipse members over my own guy's?"

"No," Eli said, "I expect you to know when to back down. You're outmatched, and you always have been. We may be a bunch of women, but we've knocked you off your high horses more times than I can count!"

"Go home, Blood Pack," Rayne said monotonously. "Live to fight another day. Or, continue provoking us and risk all your men…your choice."

"That's it!" Xavier yelled. "I'm done listening to you! The treaty's over!" He looked at his group. "Let's beat these girls down once and for all! Gangs are for men, they belong in the kitchen!" The guys whooped and cheered.

Eli rolled her eyes. "Alright, girls. Time to get these bastards back onto construction." The Eclipse women laughed and cheered.

Then, moments later, the two groups charged at each other. Eli went straight for Xavier, landing a solid punch right on his jaw. Cole ran at Rayne, eager for revenge. "Back for more, are you whelp?" she taunted, looking at him with blank eyes. He paused under her unnerving gaze.

"S-stop lookin' at me with those creepy eyes!" he yelled, lunging at her and reaching for her throat.

Rayne clicked her tongue, stepping casually to the side. "So clumsy," she said in mock-disappointment. He stumbled forward after missing, and Rayne took advantage of his momentary weakness by swinging her leg up and slamming the sharp heel of her boot into the middle of his back. He howled with pain, falling to the ground. "You men are all brawn and no brain," she scoffed.

"I'll make ya pay for that!" he growled. Cole spun around, grabbing Rayne's ankle and pulling her foot out from underneath her. Caught off-guard, she sprawled to the ground, her head bouncing off the concrete. Her skull exploded in pain, and her vision blurred and waved. In her daze, she was slow to react, letting Cole sit on her stomach and continue his assault. His fist connected with her mouth, making blood flow from the side of her lip.

"Hey! Get off my idol!" Janice cried nearby. She yelled loudly, her body just a flash as she crashed into Cole, sending him flying off of Rayne. Janice grabbed Rayne's hand, pulling her to her feet.

Rayne nodded her thanks to the teenage girl after wiping the blood off of her face, who grinned in response. Cole got to his feet awkwardly, looking supremely pissed, and called a couple of the other guys over to help him out. "Shit…" _He likes to play dirty, does he? _Rayne looked around. Her eyes landed on a ladder, that led to a door to one of the old abandoned buildings they were fighting by. _Alright, pup, let's play dirty._ She gestured for Janice to rejoin the rest of their teammates, and when she was about to protest, Rayne looked at her, her eyes stern. Reluctantly, the girl left her side, and before Cole and his friends could gang up on her (pun intended), she made a bee-line for the ladder, confusing them for a split second when she climbed up as fast as she could.

"Where ya goin'? We ain't finished with you!" Rayne rolled her eyes at Cole's declaration.

"I'm not finished with you, either," she said. "I just figured we could go somewhere a little more…private." Giving them a smug smirk, she kicked down the rotting door and ran into the building.

It was in shambles. The walls were crumbling, there was a giant hole in the roof, and the floor felt like it would give out at any moment. Across the room, Rayne saw a giant glass window, that overlooked the street below. _That's what I was looking for._ She carefully walked across the floor, just as thunder rumbled overhead. Raindrops hit her nose, the sky completely covered in storm clouds. It was just sprinkling at first, but the rain was gradually coming down harder.

"There you are," Cole sneered, walking through the doorway. "There's nowhere left to run, little girl. We got you cornered." He took a step towards her, only to yelp and jump back when his foot fell through the wood.

"Watch your step," Rayne said sarcastically.

"Just wait till I get my hands on y—"

He was interrupted by a large clap of thunder, the sound shaking the fragile building.

"Afraid of a little thunder?" Rayne drawled when Cole froze.

"Shut up!" He cracked his knuckles. "There's no way you can escape me now, bitch! Prepare yourself!"

Rayne sighed. "You and your Blood Pack dogs have called me and my sisters 'bitches' so many times that it isn't even insulting anymore. It's just tedious. You men are very uncreative, aren't you?"

Cole's eye twitched. "You've pissed me off too many times, girlie!"

"Quit your bitchin' and just GET 'er already!" snapped one of his gang buddies.

"Yeah, yeah, just fuck off!" Cole shoved them to the side as he finally charged at Rayne, apparently forgetting that his foot had just fell through the floor just moments ago. _That's it, _she thought, her body tensing. _Just a little closer…_ She began to reach out her arms, ready to grab the man and toss him right through the giant window behind her…

_**CRASH!**_

Rayne's vision was suddenly filled with a blinding white light, a deafening crash sounding in front of her. She was thrown backwards without warning, her body twisting from the explosion so she was slammed through the window face-first. She felt a large shard of glass rake across her face. Screaming in agony, there was nothing she could do as she fell helplessly towards the street below. But, after a few moments, when she SHOULD have been flattened on the concrete, she found herself still suspended in the air. Opening her eyes, she allowed her vision to adjust before breathing in sharply at the sight before her.

It was as though she were floating in a swirling purple and red abyss. There was no ground, or sky…but Rayne couldn't move. _Where am I…? What happened to the abandoned building, and the fight? _

She didn't have much time to speculate on that. As quick as it came, the void disappeared, replaced by the actual world. She didn't have time to speculate that, either, seeing as though she was suddenly face-down on the sidewalk. Her body pulsed with pain, the main sources coming from her head, her chest, her arms, and her face…with was bleeding. A lot. "Shit…shit…SHIT…" she groaned, struggling to roll over onto her back. Looking around, however, she was in for another shock. _This isn't the same place I was before. _The streets weren't narrow or cacked, and the buildings were WAY too fancy. _Are those METAL walls? And what the hell just flew over my head? That was no airplane. _It wasn't dark out either, and even through the ringing in her ears, Rayne should have been able to hear the fight still going on. Instead, she heard a lot of chatter, and a few swooshing noises as more things flew back and forth above her.

"Holy crap. Holy CRAP." A male voice to her right snapped Rayne out of her thoughts. She heard footsteps as the unidentified man made his way over to her. "Excuse me? Miss? Are you alright?"

Rayne turned her head to the side. Eyes widening as she took in the person standing over her, she resisted the urge to gasp.

_No…fucking…way._


	2. Chapter 2

**Whoa, an update? No way! :D Heehee, I hope you all like this chapter...it's kinda long. XD What do you expect, it's Rayne's intro into the ME universe! :3 Oh, and thanks to everybody who has reviewed, followed, and favorite my story so far! **

**Disclaimer****: Bioware owns everything that I have not obviously created! Enjoy the chapter!**

Chapter Two: "This Place Looks A LOT Smaller on the Game…"

"Excuse me? Miss, are you alright? Can you stand?"

Rayne shifted in her position on the hard ground, almost her entire body throbbing with pain. _No. I am most certainly am NOT alright, _she thought miserably. It should have been obvious, too, from the way she was bleeding all over the place. She gave the man a pointed glare, spitting blood onto the ground beside her. That made him blink, and pause for a moment.

"…I'll take that as a no. Do you need to go to the hospital? It's not that far from here…" The man gazed at her with concern in his eyes, making Rayne's nose twitch. It was annoying to be fussed over, but she really could use some help. However, the man's question made her want to smack him upside the head. If she had the strength, Rayne would have facepalmed. She gave him a look that said, "Yes, you idiot, I need to go to the hospital!" She wasn't sure, but she had a feeling that she had a few broken ribs, and there's no way she went through that window without getting a million cuts…she could feel the biggest one still bleeding, the cut running across her face. There were also the wounds from the brawl to worry about. Cole was a reckless idiot, but he managed to do a number on her before they got interrupted…she should probably get her head checked out, from the way it had bounced off the concrete. Rayne would definitely have a couple bruises on her face as well. And the fact that she was slammed into the ground just a few moments ago…man, she had really taken a beating. Rayne was getting rusty.

"Right." He knelt down, putting his arms underneath her neck and knees. He lifted her up roughly, causing her to hiss in pain. He smiled sheepishly at her. "Sorry. Like I said, the hospital's not far, so you'll be patched up in no time." He hadn't expected the girl to be so light…was she eating enough? Maybe she was one of the homeless people, and she didn't have the money to eat enough.

Rayne remained silent, finding herself unable to keep her eyes off of the man's face, even though it was clear that he was starting to pity her…and she hated pity. Her mind was reeling…he couldn't possibly be who she thought he was. Unless she was dead, or dreaming. But if she were dreaming, she wouldn't be in so much pain… Maybe that was it! The lightning—or maybe the fall from the building—must have killed her! That was the only possible explanation.

How else could she be gazing upon the face of Jacob Taylor?

It was definitely him, no question. He had the same face, voice, uniform…everything.

"Is there…something you need to say?" Rayne was suddenly snapped out of her thoughts. Jacob was looking down at her, an eyebrow raised. Looks like he caught her staring. Mildly embarrassed, Rayne turned her head away, not saying a word. "Okay then…" _What a strange girl, _Jacob thought, shaking his head slightly.

The rest of the time was spent in awkward silence. She would glance at him occasionally, and then look away right before Jacob looked back at her, so she was spared the embarrassment of being caught staring again. Rayne also took the time to observe her surroundings. They passed by many different people…and only a few of them were human. She saw turians, asari, salarians, elcor, volus, and even the occasional quarian…all aliens from Mass Effect. That confirmed it, then…after the lightning strike, she was somehow sent into the video game universe of Mass Effect. Or, if she really WAS dead…her spirit was sent here. Or maybe this was heaven? Nah, there's no way this was heaven. She knew she wasn't going there… It must be some kind of crazy hell.

Rayne wasn't the only curious one. Jacob found himself looking at her every so often, as well. The woman in his arms had just randomly fallen out of the sky, he couldn't pinpoint where she fell from, but it was high. The impact of her body left a small dent in the ground. But her cuts and other unrelated injuries were what worried him. What had she been doing before she fell? Could she have been getting harassed by thugs? Something else tugged at the back of Jacob's mind, as well. He couldn't rid himself of the feeling that he'd seen this woman somewhere before…

Rayne was oblivious to Jacob's curious looks, and wondered for a moment where exactly she was. There were a LOT of people here…perhaps she was on Illium, or Omega? Or the Citadel? It wasn't dark, and there wasn't a batarian or vorcha in sight…so her best guess was the Citadel. _Wow. This place seems a LOT smaller on the game…_

"Ah, here we are."

Rayne looked up when Jacob spoke. The sign above the door read "Huerta Memorial Hospital". Yep, this was definitely the Citadel. "Excuse me…" Jacob walked up to the front desk, still holding Rayne firmly in his arms. "This woman requires immediate medical attention. Can you help her?"

The asari at the desk looked up from the data pad she was holding, eyes widening in surprise when she took in the two people before her. "Oh dear! Um…" She immediately contacted one of the doctors. "Hello? Yes, we have a girl here in the lounge. She needs attention right away." An annoyed look passed over her face. "No, it can't wait! Get your face out of your damn research terminal and come do your job!" With that, she promptly ended the call. "I swear, that man…" She looked back at them with a smile. "Please head to the Inpatient Wing. Doctor Ikia will be there to help you." Jacob nodded his thanks to her and speed-walked in the direction of the Inpatient Wing.

Rayne's brow furrowed. For some reason…she hadn't understood a WORD that woman said. It was all just…weird gibberish. Then it dawned on her…every person in the Mass Effect universe had an Omni-tool. Every Omni-tool was equipped with a translator. Rayne didn't have an Omni-tool, therefore, she had no translator. …She was in a lot of trouble.

In the Inpatient Wing, they were met by a slightly irritated-looking salarian. He was only a bit taller than Jacob, and his skin was a light-brownish color. "I presume you're the one seeking medical attention for the girl? Let's see what the fuss is all about…" He turned and opened a door to one of the hospital rooms, motioning for Jacob to lay Rayne on the examination seat. He did so, and stood awkwardly off to the side as Dr. Ikia started scanning the woman's body to find out exactly what was wrong with her. She looked bad, but Jacob hoped it was nothing too serious.

After a few minutes, Dr. Ikia stepped away from the screen, looking Rayne over with a keen eye. "So, what's wrong with her?" Jacob asked, walking up to the other side of Rayne.

The salarian glanced at the dark-skinned man. "Several things. She has multiple lacerations on her face, arms, and legs, several of her ribs are cracked, she has a minor concussion, and there are signs of something blunt hitting her on a couple areas of her face." He looked down at Rayne as she looked at him with her pale, blank eyes. "You took quite the beating, young lady."

_My thoughts exactly,_ thought Jacob. Rayne merely stared blankly up at the doctor, wishing she knew what he was saying. If she had to guess, he had probably just told them what her injuries were.

"You can fix her up, can't you Doctor?" Jacob asked hopefully. Dr. Ikia gave a short laugh.

"Of course I can." He opened up his Omni-tool, typing a few things on it before looking at them again. "I'm going to go check up on a couple things and get some things from another room. Take the time that I'm gone to say your goodbyes." He looked sternly at Jacob. "I expect you gone by the time I come back. Come visit her in a few days, she'll probably be up and about by then."

Jacob nodded. "Yes, sir." With that, Dr. Ikia turned around and left the room, the door closing behind him. The room instantly fell silent. Since they had just met, neither Jacob nor Rayne knew what to say. Rayne was grateful to Jacob for having the decency to bring her here, but she had never been good at expressing gratitude. "Well, um…" Jacob rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess I'll head out. I'll come back in a few days to check up on you." He started walking towards the door.

"Jacob."

Her voice froze him in his tracks. His eyes widened as he turned to face the woman who was now facing him. Her normally stoic expression had softened, as did her voice when she continued to speak. "Thank you. I could not have made it here on my own."

His brow furrowed, a deep frown on his face. "How do you—" He was about to ask her how she knew his name, but the door suddenly opened behind him.

"Hey, didn't I say I wanted you gone?" Dr. Ikia interrupted Jacob, pushing past him into the room. "Go on, shoo. You'll only get in the way."

"Y-yeah. Sorry, doc." Casting one last, confused glance at the woman who was currently staring out the window, he walked out of the room.

"Now that he's gone," Dr. Ikia spoke up after Jacob left the room. "While I apply medi-gel to your open wounds to start with, I'll need you to answer some questions." Rayne frowned, a rare show of confusion. As she stared at him, not responding, Dr. Ikia snapped his fingers in front of her face. "Hello? Anyone in there? Did you hear me, or what?"

"I apologize, Doctor," Rayne said quietly, "But I'm afraid I do not understand you."

Dr. Ikia blinked. "What do you mean you don't…" Then, her words clicked. _She has no clue what I'm even saying! She should have a translator in her Omni-tool… _"You do have an Omni-tool, don't you?" After seeing her blank stare, he sighed, opening his Omni-tool and making wild gestures at it. Understand the action, Rayne shook her head.

"I…do not have an Omni-tool. I'm sorry, this must be very inconvenient for you," Rayne said, turning her head away. Her expression showed nothing, but her eyes showed the ever-so-slightest hint of guilt. She may be a ruthless thug, but she knew who she should show respect to. Doctors healed people, saved lives. They were worthy of her respect.

Dr. Ikia sighed again. "It seems as though I will have to go find a human with an Omni-tool to translate for me." He shook his head. "I'll do that later. For now, I've got work to do…"

_**THREE DAYS LATER**_

Jacob stood at the entrance to Huerta Memorial Hospital. He was a bit nervous about going to see the mysterious woman…honestly, she creeped him out a little. Even with all the pain she must have been in, she never once showed any kind of emotion. She was completely cool and collected. And there was also the fact that she knew his name. He was positive he knew her from somewhere, but for the life of him, he couldn't recall where. But if she knew his name, they must have met at SOME point. _Waiting around will just make you more nervous, _he told himself. _Besides, you promised you would come visit her in a few days._ Taking a deep breath, he finally gathered the nerve to walk through the doors and into the Inpatient Wing.

"Ah, it's you again." Dr. Ikia greeted him when he walked through the door to the woman's room. "Welcome back. She's recovering nicely, as you can see, and doing everyday things won't be a problem for her at all."

Rayne turned around when she heard the doctor speaking to someone. Jacob stood in the doorway to her room, an uncertain smile on his face. She was surprised to see him. Rayne figured he was lying about coming back to see her, but she was kind of happy he did. Folding her scarred arms across her chest, she leaned against the window. "Well, well. I'm surprised you came back," she said, catching Jacob's attention.

The woman definitely looked like she was doing better. She wasn't covered in blood anymore, and the gash on her face was bandaged and looked like it had stopped bleeding. Smaller bandages covered the cuts on her arms, but he could see scars that weren't covered up. He vaguely wondered how she got them. She also wore different clothes, which Jacob approved of. She wore skin-tight black pants, a black tank top that only reached the middle of her rib cage, and black combat boots. Her midsection was covered in bandages as well, probably from the doctor trying to fix her cracked ribs. A few faint bruises showed on her right jaw and her left cheek, like they were just beginning to fade.

"Of course I came back," Jacob said, trying to ignore the intensity of her stare. "I promised you I would." Rayne merely smirked in response, shifting her weight to her right leg.

"Well, I'm glad you came," Dr. Ikia said. "You have an Omni-tool, don't you?"

Jacob frowned. "Of course I do." _What an odd question. _

"Well, I need you to translate some things to my patient here. It appears she does not own an Omni-tool, and she has no idea what I'm saying."

Jacob looked at the crimson-haired woman in shock. "How do you not have an Omni-tool?" She shrugged, not even using her words to respond. "I suppose I could translate for you…" He turned back to the salarian doctor. "What do you need to ask her?"

"First, I need to know her name. You know it, don't you?" Dr. Ikia asked, assuming the two of them knew each other.

Jacob shook his head. "No…I never met her before a few days ago." _I think, _he added in his mind.

Rayne chimed in, guessing what they were talking about from Jacob's reply. "You wish to know my name, do you not?" The two men turned to her. "It's R—"

"Jacob!" Another person walked through the door to Rayne's room. It was a woman this time, probably around the same age as Rayne, dressed in a casual soldier's outfit. She was a tiny bit shorter than Jacob, and she had short, blood-red hair, slightly tanned skin, and very pale blue eyes. A few scars glowed orange on her lower cheeks, and there was a pistol strapped to her hip. "So this is where you ran off to. Visiting a friend…?" The woman trailed off, looking at the one Jacob came to see.

Everyone in the room fell silent, the two men staring in shock at the two women who gazed in shock at each other. Even the two women could see it…besides a few differences, they looked almost completely identical. "I knew I recognized you from somewhere!" Jacob cried triumphantly. "She looks just like you, Commander!"

_Commander…? _Rayne stared at the woman who bore an uncanny resemblance to herself. _This must be Shepard, then. I had a feeling I'd be meeting her soon. _"You must be Commander Shepard." Rayne extended her hand in greeting, her face remaining blank even through her surprise. "Pleased to meet you. My name is Rayne Faulkener."

Shepard blinked rapidly in surprise, shaking the woman's hand hesitantly. _This is unreal,_ she thought. "I'm Commander Shepard, as you guessed. Rayne Shepard."

_Fascinating,_ Dr. Ikia thought. _Not only do they share looks, they share the same name as well. Coincidence…or phenomenon?_ He cleared his throat, folding his arms across his chest. His expression shifted from surprised and interested to serious. He had gotten his patient's name, which was what he wanted to know in the first place. Turning to the computer on the table behind him, he typed her name into the database, searching for any kind of file that somebody may have on her. Birth records, criminal records, anything. He was thorough in his search, but strangely enough…he didn't find a single thing. No birth certificate, no record of job enlistment, not even a file of her fingerprints. Dr. Ikia even tried searching just her last name, but the few people who popped up weren't even human, so they had no relation to her. The salarian slowly turned, looking at the injured Rayne in shock. _Impossible…there has to be SOMETHING on her! _

"Doctor?" Shepard put her hand on his shoulder, concerned. "Are you alright?"

"Ah…yes. Yes, I'm perfectly fine." He looked from Shepard to Jacob. "May I speak to the two of you outside for a moment?"

"Sure thing, Doc." Jacob and Shepard followed Dr. Ikia out of the room, the door clicking shut behind them. Rayne stared at their backs as they left her alone, a small, almost unnoticeable smirk on her face.

_He looked me up, _she thought to herself. _And found nothing. That makes him nervous._ She walked up beside the door, watching them from the window.

Sure enough, Dr. Ikia wrung his hands, eyes shifting rapidly between the two humans that stood before him. "Are you sure you're alright?" Jacob asked, tilting his head at the worried doctor.

"It's about Ms. Faulkener," he replied.

"Rayne?" Shepard wondered. "What about her?"

"I searched for anything that could properly identify her," Dr. Ikia explained. "You know, to make sure she really is who she says she is, and to have a way to record her visit here." He looked down at the ground. "But no matter how much I searched…"

"You didn't find a single thing," Shepard stated. "Did you?" Somehow, she had a feeling he wouldn't. Shepard had a strange feeling when it came to the woman in the hospital room…and it wasn't just because they shared the same name and appearance.

Jacob's eyes widened when the doctor slowly shook his head. "So…either Rayne is lying to us about who she really is, or…"

"…Or she doesn't exist," Shepard finished.

"Officially," Dr. Ikia corrected. "She isn't any kind of VI, and she has no trace of cybernetics. She's completely organic, so she clearly exists…"

"Commander, I think we should go," Jacob said, his voice taking on a nervous tone. "That Faulkener woman—or whoever she may be—is bad news. I don't think we can trust her."

Suddenly, the door to Rayne's room opened, and the topic of conversation herself sauntered through, pale eyes cold as they surveyed the three people that she approached. "Pardon the interruption," she said flatly. "I couldn't help but…overhear your conversation." She focused her eerily calm gaze on Jacob, who shuddered from the way they seemed to stare straight through him. "I have given you no reason to mistrust me, Mr. Taylor. I have been completely honest with you thus far…besides, I owe you for seeking medical attention for me on my behalf." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "I understand your caution, but do not place suspicion on someone who does not need it."

Jacob threw his hands in the air. "There it is again!" He took a step back. "You said my name the first time I was here, too! How am I NOT supposed to be suspicious of you?!"

Rayne ignored the Cerberus operative, turning instead to Shepard. "I know many things, Commander. Things that will prove valuable to your mission…"

Shepard blinked, leaning forward. "…What's your point?"

"I am willing to help you…" Rayne smiled, her eyes narrowing in a sly fashion. "For a price."

_How did I know she was going to say that?_ Shepard thought in annoyance. "Alright." She brought up her Omni-tool. "How much do you want?"

Rayne chuckled softly. "You misunderstand. I'm not talking about money." She tilted her hand, her eyes glinting wickedly. "I wish to accompany you."

Both Shepard and Jacob were taken aback. "What?!" the latter exclaimed. "There's no way…!"

"Excuse me Jacob," Shepard cut him off. "But last time I checked, I made the decisions around here." She looked back at Rayne. "Can you fight?"

Rayne paused. _I can fight…but not the way they fight around here. _"I am quite skilled at hand-to-hand, but I'm afraid I have no experience with a weapon, beyond a blade."

"I see." Shepard considered her request for a moment. _Gun skills can be taught. I can't pass up the promise of relevant info…_ She glanced at the young woman, who stared intently back at her. _Besides, I can't shake the strange feeling I have about her. She seems…familiar, somehow. _"Alright. I accept your condition," she said, extending her hand to her almost-twin.

Rayne resisted the urge to grin, especially when Jacob began to protest. She grasped the Commander's hand firmly, shaking it. "Thank you. Pleasure doing business with you, Shepard." They released each other's hand, and Shepard nodded.

"Right…let's get you back to the Normandy. Everyone will want to meet you." She glanced at Dr. Ikia. "If she's all clear to go?"

He nodded. "Just tell her to be careful. Her ribs haven't fully healed yet, and she still has a minor concussion. She shouldn't do anything to open those cuts, either, in case they get infected."

Shepard laughed and looked at Rayne. "He says to try not to do anything stupid." Dr. Ikia facepalmed at her brief translation, before nodding to his patient and walking back into her now-former room.

"Commander," Jacob said, "Are you seriously bringing her along with us?" He had a look of pure disbelief on his face, arms limp at his sides. He had tolerated the other crazy people she recruited, but he thought this was just plain reckless.

Shepard sighed. "Yes, Jacob, I seriously am." She turned around. "I think she'll come in handy." She gave him a brief scowl. "Don't doubt my orders, soldier." He replied with a salute and a reluctant 'Yes, ma'am'. "Good. Now, let's get Rayne an Omni-tool and get back to the ship, before Joker sends a search party." Without another word, the (slightly irritated) Commander walked towards the elevator at a brisk pace, not bothering to check if the other two were following her. After exchanging glances (or a glare, on Jacob's part), Rayne and Jacob fell into step behind her.

_I'm in the Mass Effect universe,_ Rayne thought. _I'm still having a hard time believing that. Now, I'm suddenly a part of Commander Shepard's team. Will the surprises ever cease? _The corners of her lips turned upward slightly. _I certainly hope not. That would be boring. _Rayne stared at the back of the red-haired Alliance soldier. _Commander Rayne Shepard…a person of my own design, my own creation. The very same person I use when I play the video games. _

The three of them stepped into the elevator together. Rayne hid her small smile until she was certain neither of them were looking at her.

_Things are going to get fun._

_**ON THE NORMANDY**_

"Hey, Shepard!" A scarred turian in beat-up blue armor jogged up to the trio as soon as they boarded the Normandy. "You better get down to the shuttle area. Miranda and Jack are going at it again, and if they damage the ship, Joker's gonna go ballistic." His eyes were caught by another head of red hair, and blinked rapidly when he saw another Shepard, only bandaged and in different clothes. "Who…?"

Shepard waved her hand dismissively. "I'll introduce her to everyone in a minute. I'm gonna go calm them down." She looked up at the ceiling. "EDI, tell the rest of the squad to assemble in the briefing room." She nodded to Garrus, Rayne, and Jacob, and ran off to the elevator.

"Well, um…shall I take you to the briefing—" Rayne sauntered past Garrus in the middle of his sentence, walking towards the armory to find her destination. "—room?" Garrus tilted his head, surprised by her coldness.

"Friendly, isn't she?" Jacob said sarcastically. They both sighed and walked after her, noticing the odd looks she got from the rest of the crew.

Rayne rolled her eyes, both at the stares she got and from the tension between her and the two men. _They should be used to cold behavior by now, unless they haven't picked up Samara or Thane yet. _Her heart suddenly skipped a beat. _Thane! Oooh, I can't wait to meet him…_ Thane Krios was Rayne's favorite Mass Effect character, no contest. She wasn't usually one for having girly or embarrassing thoughts, but Thane was actually the only character she's ever fangirled over. And his death actually brought tears to her eyes… She also finds him incredibly sexy. Honestly, she could care less that he was an alien.

Rayne was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she didn't even notice she had reached the briefing room until her hip bumped into the table. She shook her head, trying to clear her mind before she met Thane, determined to keep her composure. _Come on, Ice Queen, get it together. You'll make a fool out of yourself in front of your idol and the rest of the squad._

She didn't have a lot of time to gather her thoughts, though, because not a minute later, everybody started filing into the room. Shepard was dragging Miranda and Jack by their ears, followed by Grunt, Tali, Samara, Mordin, Legion, and last (but CERTAINLY not least), Thane. Including Jacob and Garrus, they all gathered around the table, staring at Rayne curiously as Shepard released the two protesting women and stood next to her.

"Who's the girl, Shepard?" Grunt huffed.

"Is she like, your long-lost twin sister or somethin'?" Jack asked, looking bored already.

Shepard rubbed her temples. "No. If you would all be patient, I'll tell you." She put her hand on Rayne's shoulder. "Everybody, welcome the newest addition to our rag-tag little team. This is Rayne F—"

"She shares your name, too?"

"This is way too weird to be a coincidence!"  
"She must be some kind of clone or something."

"No way, I'd know if Shepard had a sister or a clone." (Three guesses as to who said that!)

"We do not understand. Why do we see two Shepard-Commanders?"

Rayne glanced at Shepard. Her hands were resting on the table, and even though her head was lowered, she could see her face muscles twitching. She looked over all the others, who were now trying to talk over one another…except for three people. Samara and Jack were both leaning against a wall, Samara emotionless while Jack looked pissed off (as usual). Her eyes landed on a familiar form standing in a far corner of the room, alone. It was Thane. A jolt of excitement ran through her body. _I can't believe it…!_

Shepard suddenly slammed her fist on the table. "WOULD YOU ALL JUST SHUT UP FOR ONCE IN YOUR FUCKING LIVES?!" She yelled at the top of her lungs, making the room instantly fall silent. She took a deep breath. "As I was saying before I was so RUDELY interrupted… This is Rayne Faulkener. She's part of this team as of today. She's an excellent hand-to-hand fighter—or so she claims—but I'll be assigning one of you to teach her how to use a gun."

"Don't be surprised if she knows your name already," Jacob muttered. "Without anyone even telling her." Shepard sent him a glare, making him turn his head away. No matter how much Shepard yelled at him, he still didn't trust her.

"I expect ALL of you—" She looked at Jacob pointedly, "—to make an effort to help Rayne feel welcome. Is that understood?" She got either clear confirmations or mumbled ones, but she accepted it anyway.

Rayne folded her arms across her chest. "Thank you, Commander, but I'd rather everyone simply spoke their minds. One man in particular…" She stared at her near mirror-image. "I would very much like to hear what Mr. Taylor has to say. Do you mind?"

Shepard just waved her hand. "Fine, fine. Go ahead, let's clear the air." Not like she would be able to stop Jacob from starting a fight with Rayne for long, anyway.

"Thank you." Rayne turned to Jacob. "You do not like me, do you Mr. Taylor?" That much was obvious, and it was very irritating.

Jacob looked around, only to find that everybody was staring at them, eager to see what would happen. He looked back at Rayne, gathering his courage and walking up to her. "No. No, I don't like you at all."

"I'm afraid you're going to have to elaborate on that," she said monotonously. "I fail to see how I wronged you. We've only spoken twice, after all."

"Exactly!" Jacob cried. "We've only spoken twice, yet somehow, you knew who I was! How do you explain that?!" He didn't let her reply. "And why couldn't Dr. Ikia find ANYTHING on you? Not even a BIRTH RECORD?" He folded his arms across his chest. "How do we know you're really who you say you are? You could be ANYONE. You could be working with the Collectors, for all we know!" He glared down at her. "I don't trust you. And if you threaten the safety of anyone on this ship, or you hinder the mission in any way, I'll—"

Rayne's movements were lightning-quick. She grabbed Jacob by his left forearm, and with a loud cry, flung his body over her head and onto the floor like a sack of potatoes. Before he could retaliate, she pulled a blade out of a hidden sheathe in one of her boots, the sharp edge only centimeters away from Jacob's throat. Several people reached for their guns, but Shepard stopped them, interested to see where this would go. Rayne lowered her lips to Jacob's ear.

"What will you do, Jacob Taylor? Shoot me?" Her voice was almost a growl, and her eyes were venomous, despite her expression being the same. "You are behaving rather oddly today. Please get over yourself, and perhaps we can have an actual adult conversation." She slid the blade back into her boot, standing straight up. "Let me give you a word of wisdom, Cerberus bastard." She glared viciously down at him. "Don't. Fuck. With. Me."

Suddenly, Jack started clapping loudly. "I like this one, Shepard," she said with a wicked grin. Grunt whooped in agreement.

"I guess there's no need to question her hand-to-hand skills," Garrus said, looking at Rayne with wide eyes.

Shepard looked like she was resisting the urge to smile. She may have just threatened one of her crew, but it was one hell of a show. "On that note…you're all dismissed." After giving Rayne one last, shocked look, everybody started filing out of the room.

Rayne, however, stayed behind. Samara and Jack seemed to be thinking the same thing, and as soon as everyone else was gone, both of them approached her. "That was funny, Not-Shepard," Jack said, arms folded and gaze critical.

"Yes, the way you humiliated that human boy was most amusing," Samara agreed, her face as empty as Rayne's.

Rayne bowed her head. "You flatter me."

Jack stretched, tilting her head from side to side and cracking her neck. "We should hang sometime. You don't seem BORING, like all the other idiots Shepard drags onto this ship." Samara stared at her for a moment. "I didn't say you, did I?" she snapped.

"I would love to become better acquainted with the two of you," Rayne said politely.

Jack rolled her eyes. "Uh…yeah. There's no way we can hang if you're so uptight all the time." She smirked. "Don't worry, I'll teach ya how to loosen up a little." She glanced at Samara. "You could both use it."

"Very well," Rayne and Samara replied in unison. Jack sighed.

"Whatever. I'm hungry, let's go to the kitchen." She turned around and walked towards the door with Samara. "C'mon, Not-Shepard, you're comin' too." Rayne blinked and followed them obediently, surprised that she had made friends (could they be called friends?) so quickly. However, on their way to the mess hall, Rayne spotted her favorite drell assassin head into the elevator as well, presumably going to Life Support. She saw this as the perfect opportunity to finally get to speak with him, and did not want to miss it.

The elevator lowered to deck 3 in silence, and when it finally opened, the four of them gracefully exited. Jack and Samara immediately went towards the mess hall, but Rayne stayed put. "Hey, aren't you comin' to get some munchies, newbie?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

Rayne glanced at Thane as he walked away. "I…will be right there. Go on without me, I remembered something I need to do."

Jack followed her gaze, a sly smirk stretching across her face. "Hmm…" She put a hand on her hip. "Alright, but next time, you're not finding some stupid-ass excuse. You better come get dinner with us later."

Rayne bowed her head. "Of course. Thank you, Jack." She bowed her head to Samara as well. "Goodbye for now, Samara." She didn't hesitate to turn around, but she still heard Jack say, "Shit. She really does know our names." A small smirk appeared on Rayne's face. This "mysterious tough-girl" thing really suited her.

But when she was standing in front of the door to Life Support, Rayne felt her confidence slowly fading away. How was she supposed to approach him? Would he be able to hear her if she knocked? She knew nothing about these fancy doors, she still had no clue how to even work her Omni-tool. She decided that would be the polite thing to do, so she banged her fist above the green door controls three times. There was a pause.

"Come in," called a very familiar voice. She felt herself get goosebumps—she had ALWAYS loved the way Thane's voice sounded.

Remembering how Shepard would open doors on the Citadel, Rayne opened the Life Support door with little difficulty. Thane was already turned in his seat, curious to see who was at the door. If he was surprised to see her, he didn't show it.

"Ah. Rayne Faulkener, my newest teammate." He nodded his head to her. "Welcome. Judging from the display in the briefing room, you will fit right in."

Rayne barely resisted the urge to just kiss him right there. "Thank you, _mo tiarna_." Her Irish heritage only showed when she was being very sincere or emotional about something. So, not very often. Then, she surprised Thane by getting down on her left knee, planting her left fist on the ground and laying her right arm across her right knee. Head lowered, she spoke in a soft, humble tone. "You cannot imagine how honored I am to meet you. I have heard many things about you, and—forgive me for being so forward—I think you are a good, respectable man. I have looked forward to the day I could talk to you face-to-face, and I look forward to working with you."

Thane blinked, speechless for a second or two. "I…believe those words are meant for another."

Rayne shook her head. "There is no other worthy of such words." Her head lowered even more. "And, if it is not too much trouble…I would be very grateful if you could be the one to be my mentor," she said, referring to the weapons training she desperately needed.

Thane stared down at her for a moment. _This woman…is very strange. She behaves as though I am a hero of some sort. _"Please, rise. I do not deserve such respect." She looked up at him, and he gestured to the seat in front of him. "Why don't you have a seat? We can chat better this way."

Rayne's expression brightened. "V…very well, if that is what _mo tiarna _wishes." She stood up, dusting off her knees and sliding into the seat across from him. She folded her hands in her lap, keeping her gaze lowered respectfully.

"You are quite mysterious to the people on this ship, Miss Faulkener," Thane said. "Ever since you boarded, many of the crew have searched desperately for any kind of hidden file you might have…Miranda included."

Rayne scoffed. "Well, I'm afraid they will remain disappointed. Nobody will find anything on me, unless I create a file myself."

"Interesting," Thane rumbled softly. "And why would that be?"

Rayne turned her head away. "If you were anyone else, I would tell you to mind your own business…" she muttered. Leaning her chin on her fist, she glanced at Thane briefly. "By official, technical, and perhaps literal standards, I do not exist in this universe." She lowered her head again. "I cannot say more until I know more about my situation. But rest assured, I am no danger to anyone on this ship…" Her eyes flashed. "Unless they are a danger to me. And I will prove valuable to this so-called 'suicide mission'."

"I believe you," Thane replied. Her words sounded sincere, and the way he saw it…the more manpower this ship had, the better. He tilted his head slightly. "A few moments ago, you called me '_mo tiarna_'. Is that a term from one of your human languages?" He was curious about this woman, and wanted to learn as much as he could. Both to satisfy his curiosity and to make sure she could truly be trusted.

Rayne rubbed the back of her neck. "Yes. It is a term from the Irish language, my native language. _Mo tiarna_ means 'my lord'." She felt her cheeks get warm. _I just admitted to calling him 'my lord'. How incredibly embarrassing… _

A small smile appeared on Thane's face. "So, you referred to me as My Lord?" He chuckled softly, making Rayne's insides melt. "That is very flattering, but such respect is wasted on me." He stared at her. "You are aware that I kill people for a living?"

"Of course," Rayne said smoothly. "However, the people you kill are bad people, who have it coming." She smiled slightly. "I believe you have left the galaxy brighter than when you found it."

Thane blinked several times, surprised to hear some of his own words repeated back to him. "…I see. I am…glad you think so." He laid his hands on the table, frowning slightly. "And, as for your request…for me to mentor you. I'm afraid it will have to wait…"

"_Mo tiarna_?" Rayne tilted her head, looking at the drell with concern. "Is something troubling you?"

Thane didn't respond right away. _I still do not know much about Rayne, but…she looks genuinely concerned. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to tell her. _"I have…a son. His name is Kolyat." He folded his hands together, his frown deepening. "When he was a child, I was always away from home, performing my duty as an assassin." He sighed. "After his mother died, I did not contact him. I wanted him to stay as far away from the dangers of my life as possible, lest he become a victim of my mistakes as well. But now…"

"He has learned of you, of the kind of work you do," Rayne finished. "And he has taken a job as a hit man. You want to find him, stop him, before he goes down the wrong path." For the first time, she stared straight into Thane's eyes. "Correct?"

His eyes widened a bit. _She guessed perfectly. Or…perhaps she already knew. _"…Yes. How did you know that?"

Rayne dismissed his last question. "You are reluctant to go Shepard, aren't you? You do not wish to bother her, or distract her from her mission."

"Right again." Thane stared at Rayne through slightly narrowed eyes. "You seem to know a great deal." Rayne smirked slowly, then her expression returned to its former concerned, earnest state.

"I do not wish to see you looking so troubled. If you do not want to go the Shepard, allow me to help you." _If I cannot get Thane to trust me through words, perhaps actions will allow me to prove myself._

Thane shook his head. "Do not bother yourself with my problems. I will find a way to—"

"No!" Rayne interrupted. "Please, _mo tiarna_, allow me to do this for you. I insist." She ran her fingers through her blood red hair. "I look just like Shepard, and we share the same first name. If we come across something that can only be obtained through Shepard's influence, I will take care of it."

There was truth to her words. Although Thane was wary of her, he couldn't deny the fact that she could come in handy. "It will most likely be dangerous," he said. "There's no guarantee that we will not have to fight anyone."

"If you are talking about my lack of weapon skills," Rayne cracked her knuckles, "I am confident this will not end in a gunfight. I will make sure no fatal shots are fired."

"I see." Thane sighed. "Very well. I accept your offer of assistance. We will be going to the Citadel again tomorrow; we shall start our search then."

Rayne perked up, her lips forming a bright smile. "Of course! _Go raibh maith agat_, I will not let you down!" she said, standing up and bowing deeply. _Yes! He agreed! How exciting!_

Suddenly, someone pounded loudly on the door. "YO! You still in there, Not-Shepard?!" Jack yelled loudly from the hall. Rayne winced. She forgot all about Jack and Samara…shit.

"Yes, I'll be right out!" Rayne replied.

"You guys aren't havin' sex or anything, are you?"

Rayne's jaw dropped, her face instantly reddening in mortification. That little…Thane was sitting RIGHT THERE! How could Jack even say that?! "What—no! Dammit, Jack…" She hastily said goodbye to Thane, trying not to let him see her red face as she bolted out the door.

Jack and Samara were there to greet her, the former with a wide smirk on her face. "Have fun?" she snickered.

Rayne gave her an "I-am-NOT-amused" look. "Yes, up until you made your perverted comment." Jack laughed, and even Samara cracked a smile.

"Oops," said Jack, but Rayne knew she wasn't sorry at all. "I hope I didn't EMBARRASS you or anything."

Rayne sighed. "Alright, I get it. I won't leave you two so suddenly again."

"I'm glad we're on the same page." Jack put her arm around Rayne's neck and brought her head down, giving her a noogie that made her wince. "You're with us now, girlie. Don't like it, too bad." She released her hold on Rayne after she squirmed. "Now I feel like fucking something up. Let's go down to the shuttle bay, there's probably some crates or something I can tear apart." Without looking at the other two, Jack walked into the elevator.

Rayne sighed, following her back into the elevator. _I have a feeling I won't come out of this whole 'universe-swapping' experience the same as I was. I'm already acting weird… _She stood between Jack and Samara, standing straight, eyes staring ahead. _What happens will happen, I suppose. I wonder if anything bizarre will happen tomorrow? I'm eager to find out._

Somehow, she had a feeling something bizarre WOULD happen tomorrow. And it would change her life even more.


	3. Chapter 3

**What, two chapters in a row? It's a miracle! XD Anyway, here it is! Kolyat and Rayne's first meeting! Let me warn you, though...it's not exactly a normal meeting. Did you expect it to be? :)**

**Disclaimer****: Not again...BIOWARE OWNS EVERYTHING EXCEPT FOR RAYNE. THIS IS A NON-PROFIT FANFICTION, PURELY FOR ENTERTAINMENT. Thank you.**

Chapter Three: That Wasn't Supposed to Happen…

"Shepard!" C-Sec captain Bailey stood up from his desk when he saw a familiar head of red hair make its way over to him. He held out his hand, a pleasant smile on his face. "Been awhile, eh?"

"Bailey," Rayne smiled back at him, grabbing his hand and shaking it firmly. Her impression of Shepard's voice was almost perfect, and if there were any flaws, Bailey didn't notice them. "It's good to see you. How are things?"

"Tiring, as usual," he replied with a chuckle. He looked at her a little closer. She seemed…strange to him, somehow. Was her hair always angled like that? "Hey, you look a little different…"

Rayne blinked rapidly. "Uh, you must be talking about my bandages." She smiled sheepishly. "Just after I finally got my other scars removed, some idiot picked a fight with me. Chose to play dirty by using his Omni-blade."

"Ah, I see." Rayne mentally sighed with relief, glad that Bailey believed her so easily. She glanced at Thane, who gave her a small nod, impressed by the way she was pulling this off. That was when Bailey noticed the drell standing next to her. "So…I assume you came here for a reason?"

Rayne nodded at Thane, and he stepped forward. Her mind flashed to the many times she played through this mission, and she squared her shoulders, staring down at Bailey with confidence. "My associate's trying to find his son," she said, reciting Shepard's dialogue easily. "We think a local criminal may have hired him."

"Should be easy, we don't see many drell here," Bailey said, looking down at the computer in front of him. It was true, drell were a rare sight, but he shouldn't be surprised that Shepard had managed to get one on her little squad. She was always known for doing impossible things. He typed something into his computer for a moment, then looked back up at Rayne. "There we go…one of my men reported a drell recently. And he was talking to Mouse, interesting…"

"Mouse?" Thane wondered. The name was familiar to him. He remembered the times when he would use poor or orphaned children to gather information, and recalled that one of them called himself Mouse. But it couldn't possibly be the same boy…most duct rats don't live for very long.

Bailey looked up at him. "A petty criminal. Probably not the guy who hired your boy, but a messenger. He's a former duct rat, runs errands for anyone who'll pay."

"I've heard enough," Rayne said, holding up her hand. She knew it was necessary for her to seek Bailey's help, even though she didn't need it, but her hands twitched at her sides. She knew everything that would happen, and she was growing impatient.

Bailey nodded his head. "Mouse is usually upstairs, outside the Dark Star. He works outside a public comm terminal." He looked at Thane again. "Looks like your boy's running with the wrong crowd."

Thane nodded. "Yes. I agree." He was going down the same path Thane himself had taken long ago…which was part of the reason he was here today. To stop him.

"If Mouse can't get you in touch with your son directly, he'll know who can. I'll help you if you need it," the captain offered. Rayne smiled again. Even if she didn't have to act like Shepard, Rayne wouldn't have been very cold to the officer. He may be able to be bribed like any other officer, but she knew he was a good man.

"Thank you, Captain. We'll come back if we need you." Tugging on Thane's sleeve, they left the C-Sec office.

"You didn't tell him that Kolyat plans to assassinate someone," Thane stated, as though he were surprised. He figured she would have, she seems the type to have a certain sense of justice.

"Of course not," Rayne replied. "If I did, he would only interfere. He would try to arrest Kolyat, which would probably end with one of them killing the other. We don't want that." _For either of them,_ Rayne thought, _Even if his son can be irritating._

"No…" Thane bowed his head. "Thank you, Rayne." His show of gratitude made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but she was determined to remain professional. He probably already thought of her as a freaky fangirl, anyway.

"Now, let's go find Mouse." Rayne sauntered through the halls of the Citadel, as easily as if she were looking at a map. Which wasn't surprising, considering how many times she's led her Shepard character through these very halls. Soon enough, they reached the terminal Bailey said Mouse would be at. The man was indeed there, and Rayne didn't hesitate to approach him. "Mouse?"

He put away the data pad he was holding, slowly turning around. "What do you—oh, shit!" His hands flew up when he saw Thane. "Krios! I thought you retired!" He looked at Rayne, rubbing his eyes. "C-Commander Shepard? I thought you died…what do you want with me?"

Thane put his hand on Mouse's shoulder. "Be still, Mouse. You can change your pants in a moment." Rayne smirked. She always thought it was funny when he said that. Then, she stepped towards Mouse, all business.

"We don't have time for formalities. We were told you could point us to who hired Thane's son, so get pointing," she snapped, not even bothering to keep up the Shepard façade. Her impatience was growing, and Thane could see it clearly.

"Th-the people I work for…look, I can't just answer questions for anybody!" Mouse cried. Thane grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, their faces only inches apart.

"But you can for me." He glared at the cowering human. "You gave another drell instructions for an assassination. Who's the target?" He felt himself growing restless as well. All the time they wasted interrogating people was more time Kolyat had to fulfill his contract.

"I-I dunno, I didn't ask. The people I work for—gah!" Mouse cried out when Rayne's fist drove into his stomach. He fell to the ground, and she pressed the tip of her hidden blade against his chest.

"Tell us, or I'll be the last thing you ever see," she hissed.

"Th-Thane," Mouse stammered, "Help me!"  
"Help ME, Mouse," Thane insisted. "My son is out there, in the dark!"

"Th-that's why I carried for him!" the young man said. "I thought you'd want me to! Please…"

"Explain," Rayne growled, pressing the tip even harder against him. It dug through his clothes, just touching his skin.

"H-he came in, said he was looking for work," Mouse began. "I put the word out, used your old contacts," he said, looking up at Thane. "Elias wanted to hire him. Elias Kelham." The two interrogators looked at each other, and Rayne put her blade away, allowing Mouse to pull himself to his feet.

"You just saved yourself a world of pain, kid," Rayne snapped. Using that line almost made her smile; it had the same effect on the youngster as when Shepard said it. She could see the fear flash in his eyes, but his expression was weary.

"Yeah, right. When Kelham finds out what I've done, I won't live long. And I can't do anything about it but hide," Mouse groaned. He looked at Thane. "Krios, you got any kindness for me…put a bullet in Kelham before you go." With that, he walked away, clutching his stomach where Rayne punched him.

Rayne tried not to sigh. She could get this over with in no time, but she didn't want to make anyone too suspicious. And, even though the thought of killing Kelham was appealing—she always hated that bastard—but unfortunately, he was more useful alive. "Let's head back to Bailey."

"Yes?" Bailey looked up when the two of them entered his office again.

"Can we talk about my associate's son?" Rayne asked.

"Did you talk to Mouse?" he wondered. "Did you get the name of the guy he's workin' with?"

"Elias Kelham," Rayne said, already irritated before Bailey even opened his mouth to respond.

"Kelham…ah, shit…" he muttered. He sighed. "Uh…look, this is awkward. Kelham and I have an…agreement. He doesn't cause too much trouble and 'buys tickets to the C-Sec Charity Ball from me'," He put air-quotes around those words, "In return…I ignore him."

"He bribes you," Rayne said bluntly, annoyed by Bailey's sudden unwillingness to assist. This part always got on her nerves, even if she did kinda like Bailey. Damn cops. "You were eager to help us before, Captain. Gonna go back on your word?"

Bailey sighed again. "No, I'll help. I'll get some of my people to bring him in, set him up in a private room. You can interrogate him yourself. I'll stay out of sight, and if I'm lucky, Kelham will believe I had nothing to do with it."

"Bring him in," Rayne said hastily. "We might not have much time."

"I'll make it happen," he assured them. "Wait here." Bailey rose from his seat and walked away, leaving Thane and Rayne wait anxiously. Thane most of all. Rayne noticed him fidgeting, like he was trying to keep himself from starting to pace. She didn't blame him. If she was in his position, Rayne would be just as anxious.

About ten minutes later, two C-Sec officers came in, dragging a fancily-dressed man into the interrogation room. "We've got Kelham," Rayne told an officer standing by the door. "Tell Bailey we're ready." He obeyed, going to get the captain. She glanced at Thane, and he gave her a small smile and a nod, making her stomach flutter. Thane appreciated that she was taking the time to do this for him, even though they only met yesterday.

Moments later, Bailey approached them. "He's gonna expect me to get him outta this," he said.

"Not today, I think." Thane and Rayne exchanged another glance.

Rayne glanced towards the entrance of the C-Sec office, just as Kelham's lawyer approached the other officers. "His lawyer's here. Bailey, stall him. We'll take care of Kelham," she said, before the turian in front of Kelham's lawyer could start ranting and taking even longer. The captain nodded.

"Right. Work fast." The red-haired woman turned to Thane as Bailey walked away.

"You be the 'good cop'," Rayne said, before he had time to open his mouth. "I am much more comfortable using violence anyway."

"Very well, I'll make him believe we do not want to hurt him. Let's hurry," Thane said, trusting her plan. She was proving trustworthy so far, and was getting things done fast. He followed her into the interrogation room.

"Who the hell are—"

"Quiet!" Rayne growled, stopping Kelham as he began his arrogant protest. "We're not C-Sec, and Bailey can't save you. We need answers, and we need them now."

His eyes narrowed. "I'm not telling you anything."

Before he could react, Rayne knuckles collided with his cheek bone. "You hired a drell to take someone out for you," she said through clenched teeth. "Who's the target?!"

Kelham spit blood onto the floor. "You think violence will get you what you need? I'll have my lawyer sue all of—ugh!" He sputtered when Rayne's elbow dug into his stomach.

"We don't want to hurt you," Thane said calmly. "But I'm afraid we don't have much time. If you cooperate, my colleague will inflict no further harm upon you." For emphasis, Rayne punched him in the mouth.

"Fine!" Kelham cried. "The target's name is Joram Talid. Got it?! He's a politician."

Thane nodded at Rayne, and she backed off. "Thank you. You were most helpful." Rayne shot Kelham a glare as they gracefully walked out of the room, past Kelham's pissed-off lawyer.

"That was fun," Rayne said, cracking her knuckles.

"Indeed," Thane chuckled. He had a feeling she really enjoyed violence. Rayne would have no trouble getting along with…pretty much everybody on the Normandy. "Shall we go find Bailey once again? He might know who this Talid person is."

"That won't be necessary," Rayne said with a small smirk. "I know the man he speaks of. Come, we'll find him in this direction." She boldly took Thane by the wrist, making her pulse pick up speed, and pulled him along with her. After a few minutes of navigating through the crowds, she spotted the turian politician a few feet away. She stopped, making Thane stop with her. "There he is." She nodded at Talid and his krogan bodyguard. "I'll go along the catwalks, see if I can spot Kolyat anywhere."

"What shall I do?" Thane asked.

"If anything bad happens, I'll need you to help me out…" She put a hand on her favorite drell's shoulder. "Be waiting in the darkest corner with the best view."

_It's as if she knows exactly what I would say,_ Thane thought with amusement. Rayne smiled knowingly, then walked over to the door that led to the catwalks. "Good luck," he called to her softly. Her smile widened, and she gave him a small wave before the door closed behind her.

Rayne felt her heart flutter with excitement. Now, she could show Thane just how trustworthy she was. She didn't bother tailing Talid. She knew exactly where he was going, and that was where Kolyat would be. Following Talid would only slow her down, and if she didn't get to Kolyat first, he would end up killing the krogan bodyguard. Bailey would also bring him into custody, and Thane and Kolyat wouldn't be able to talk properly. So, she walked as fast as she could through the catwalks, opening the storage door where the storage boy tried to stop her. Rayne simply pushed past him and through the other door, despite his rather loud protests, continuing to walk until she could see the door Talid was going to go through. Sure enough, Kolyat was there, leaning against a wall like always. Talid wouldn't be there for a little while, so now was her chance. Without thinking much about it, Rayne leaped from the catwalks, landing on the ground with a thump. Kolyat didn't notice her—he was most likely caught up in his thoughts about his the upcoming assassination he was planning on executing. Too bad for him, Rayne had other plans.

"Kolyat!" She yelled his name, running at him at full speed. He only looked over at her just before she tackled him to the ground, making him yelp.

"What the hell?!" He struggled to throw the human woman off, but she straddled his hips. Using one arm, she pinned his above his head, pulling out a knife and putting it against his throat.

"Give me the pistol, Kolyat," she said calmly. "No one needs to get hurt."

Kolyat stared up at his attacker in shock. The woman wasn't that big, but she still managed to keep him pinned. Her hair was short and angled, her bangs almost covering part of her eyes, and to his curiousity, it was a deep red, the color of blood. She had high cheekbones and a strong, yet feminine jaw, her skin was slightly tanned and looked smooth. Her neck was slim, leading down to her thin shoulders and… Kolyat's eyes drifted further downward, but they flicked back up to her face when the woman let out a warning growl. He noticed the bandage across her face and arms, and the various scars that adorned her body. Last of all, he noticed her eyes…which sent a chill through him. They were a very pale blue, almost white, and they were as cold as ice. The woman stared at him with such an intensity, he almost forgot what was happening. Blinking rapidly, he snapped out of his trance. "I don't even know who you are!" Kolyat snapped. "Get off of me, there's something I need to do!" He squirmed underneath her, but when the blade was pressed harder against his throat, he stopped, staring up at his captor with defiant eyes. The young drell faltered, however, when he realized that her face was close enough that he could feel her breath on his cheek. And he was all too aware of where she was sitting…

"I'm afraid you won't be killing Joram Talid today, Kolyat Krios. Or ever." She stared him down, her fierce pale blue eyes piercing his black ones. She didn't miss the way his eyes had wandered over her body, and she was surprised to feel herself suddenly become slightly self-conscious. He resembled his father in many ways, and it almost felt as though she were straddling Thane, not his son. _Not that I would mind, or anything…_

The continued intensity of her stare sent shivers down his spine, but he kept his composure. "How do you know who I am?" he demanded. Rayne ignored his question, bringing her face lower so she was right by his ear. _Gods, why is she so close?! _he thought, horrified to feel his face heat up as the ribbing on his neck turned brighter.

"You may be Thane's son, but I will hurt you if I must. Release the pistol, Kolyat. For your own safety," she said softly, her lips accidentally brushing the side of his face. A jolt flew through both of them, and Kolyat's breath caught in his throat. Rayne, however, acted like nothing happened…even though her heartbeat was starting to become erratic.

"H-how do you know my father?" he asked, heart ramming against his rib cage. He didn't know who this woman was, but she was WAY too close for comfort. The blade in her hand pressed harder against his throat, and he felt it pierce his skin, a tiny bit of blood sliding down his neck. "Alright, dammit! I'll drop my gun, will that satisfy you?" he cried, releasing the M-3 Predator he had gripped so tightly in his hands.

Rayne brought his arms over his head, pushing the gun out of his reach. Then, she put her blade away, lifting herself off of Kolyat and standing beside him. She offered him her hand, to help him up, but he simply glared at her and got up himself. No way was he about to let the girl who was just threatening him help him. _Brat_, Rayne thought, narrowing her eyes at the young drell.

"Who are you?" he snarled. "Tell me. And tell me how you know my father!"

"Kolyat."

A deep voice rumbled behind the crimson-haired woman, and Kolyat's attention snapped to its owner…and he laid eyes on his father for the first time in years. "This…this is a joke," he said disbelievingly. "Now? NOW you show up?!" First the red-haired woman almost slit his throat, then the man he's hated since he was a child suddenly comes up next to him! Would he get struck by lightning next?! He took a step towards Thane, pissed off, but he stopped when the human who was straddling him not moments ago stepped in front of his father, looking almost…protective. "You son of a bitch!" he growled, glaring venomously at Thane. Rayne scowled, slapping him hard across the face. Kolyat's eyes widened in shock, his cheek stinging from the force of her slap.

"Don't you dare speak to him that way," she seethed. "Your father doesn't have much time left, you ungrateful brat. He's trying to right his wrongs!"

"So he wants my forgiveness? So he can die in peace or something?" Kolyat asked incredulously, throwing a hand in the air. Rayne's arms shook in pure rage, and Kolyat vaguely wondered what Thane meant to her. Perhaps she had feelings for him? Anger practically radiated off of Rayne, both of their hands balled into fists, and they both looked about ready to kill each other before Thane stepped in.

"I came to grant you peace." Thane's head lowered. "You are angry because I wasn't there when your mother died," he said. It wasn't a question. Thane already knew this, and he's known it for a long time…and he was ashamed of himself. He would try his best to make his son see that.

"You weren't there when she was alive, why would you be there when she died?!" Kolyat scoffed, folding his arms across his chest. Rayne raised her fist, but she restrained herself from hitting Kolyat again when Thane looked at her sternly. She stepped back and let Thane take over, settling with just scowling at his son. If Thane hadn't interfered, Kolyat would most likely be unconscious, if not dead, by now. _Kolyat's lucky his daddy is here to protect him,_ she thought bitterly.

"Your mother…" Thane looked down at the ground. "They killed her to get to me. It was my fault."

"What?" Kolyat's arms unfolded, looking at his father in surprise.

"After her body was given to the deep," Thane continued, brow furrowing. "I went to find them. The triggermen, the ringleaders…I hurt them. Eventually killed them. When I went back to see you, you were…older. I should have stayed with you."

Kolyat's eyes narrowed. "I guess it's too bad for me you waited so long, huh?" Thane looked genuinely sorry and ashamed, but at the moment, Kolyat didn't want to hear his apologies. Words couldn't fix this, and he wasn't sure he wanted them to.

Thane paused, looking at his son with eyes full of guilt. "Kolyat, I've taken many bad things out of the world. You're the only good thing I ever added to it." Kolyat's brow furrowed as well, and he looked down at his feet, tears streaming silently down his face.

Rayne watched the scene unfold before her, feeling tears come to her eyes as well. This part always made her feel sad, but in person, it was heartbreaking. "_Mo tiarna,_" she said softly, her hand brushing Thane's arm. "We should not remain here. Let's bring Kolyat to the Normandy, I'm sure Shepard won't mind." Kolyat eyed the girl through narrowed eyes, surprised to see her cold expression soften when she looked at Thane. He had a sneaking suspicion that he was right, and she did have feelings for him. It remained to be seen if his father reciprocated those feelings.

Then, the woman's words sank in, and Kolyat looked at his red-headed assailant in surprise. "Shepard? As in, Commander Shepard?" Rayne's face was empty when she turned to him.

"Yes," she said. "Now come along, we shouldn't waste any time." She was tired of talking to him anyway, he was a little too temperamental for her. Besides, he was really starting to piss her off.

The teal-scaled drell's brow rose incredulously. "You expect me to come with you? My neglecting father and a human woman I don't even know?" _She must be crazy._

"Your constant insults against Thane are wearing my patience thin," Rayne snarled, walking up to Kolyat and getting in his face. "I suggest you do as I've said before the wall gets a new Kolyat-shaped dent." From the way her eyes glinted, both drell knew she would happily carry out her threat. Kolyat didn't care. This girl needed to know that she didn't have any kind of advantage over him.

"You don't scare me," Kolyat laughed, pushing Rayne away from him.

Thane winced. _That…was not wise._ Rayne was perfectly still for a moment, then she started cracking her knuckles. "Please, try not to put my son in the hospital," he sighed.

Rayne smirked slowly, her eyes dark and predatory. "Only because you said so, _mo tiarna_." Kolyat took a step back, gulping. _Now would be a good time for him to run,_ Rayne thought with amusement.

_Oh, shit,_ Kolyat thought, just as Rayne swung her leg up—can human legs even GO that high?—and kicked him roughly in the side of the head. Kolyat stumbled to the side, and Rayne was suddenly beside him, swinging her fist right into his jaw. "What the hell is your problem?!" he cried, tasting blood in his mouth.

"You," Rayne said flatly. Kolyat grabbed her arm before she could drive her elbow into his chest, and he twisted it behind her back. He pressed himself against her back, twisting her arm hard enough to make her gasp. Mind reeling, Rayne slammed the back of her head into Kolyat's face. He yelled in pain and released her, holding his now-bleeding nose, allowing Rayne to quickly recover. Grabbing Kolyat's arm, she tossed him over her head and onto the ground, just like she had with Jacob. It didn't have the exact same effect, however, because Kolyat responded by grabbing Rayne's ankle and pulling her foot out from under her, sending her sprawling to the ground as well. This time, it was Kolyat who was on Rayne, and he had her hidden blade in his hand. He had grabbed it as she was falling, surprising Rayne with his quick-thinking. Too bad it still wouldn't be enough. He pointed the blade at her, both of them breathing heavily.

"Give up," he said. "I've won."

_You poor, deluded man,_ Rayne thought, her eyes flashing deviously. She had gotten into situations like this before, and as long as the attacker was male, there was one sure-fire way to get out of it. She could go straight for the shot, but she always liked to mess with their heads a little…and it seemed that no men were smart enough to keep her arms pinned down. It also helped that this particular male was attractive…it made what she was about to do much easier. Rayne stared up at Kolyat with big, shocked eyes, and when he blinked, confused at her sudden change in demeanor, her arms snaked around his neck. In an instant, she pulled his head down, so their lips were just barely touching. Kolyat felt his heart stop, and another jolt went through him when her lips brushed his for just a fleeting moment. _Holy shit… _Her breath ghosted across his lips, their noses touching, and Kolyat's mind suddenly went blank. For a minute, Rayne was tempted to actually kiss him, to see what it would be like, but she kept herself under control, her bright eyes staring deeply into his dark ones.

Then, the intense moment was shattered when Rayne slammed her knee into his crotch. Kolyat cried out in agony and fell to the floor beside Rayne, curled up and holding his groin like all men do when they've just been kneed in the balls. _That BITCH! _Kolyat thought angrily, glaring at the woman as she got to her feet and looked smugly down at him.

"My name is Rayne Faulkener," she said coldly. "Now get your pansy ass up and get walkin'. The Normandy awaits." Her Irish accent slipped out for a moment. "_Mo tiarna,_ do you mind if I go on ahead?" she asked Thane, picking up her blade (which Kolyat had dropped) and sliding it back into her boot.

"Not at all," Thane said pleasantly. "I will bring Kolyat as soon as he recovers." He was impressed with the way Rayne handled his son, hurting him enough to keep him down, but not enough to seriously injure him. He had been shocked at how close she had gotten to Kolyat at the end, and judging from the way Kolyat froze up, he had a feeling his son hadn't really minded. Amusement had replaced the shock when she kneed him in a painful place, feeling a bit proud of her for being so clever.

"Of course." Rayne crossed her arms over her chest, making an X shape, and bowed to him, which Kolyat didn't miss. _What the hell…? Why is she so respectful of him, but so violent with me? I don't kill people for a living! _he thought, feeling very angry as he did so. His father better not even THINK of replacing his mother. Especially with her! Rayne gave Kolyat another smug look and a scoff, before turning around and walking away at a brisk pace. _I hate that woman. I'll get her back for this, I swear it!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:**** Bioware owns everything, yadda-yadda-yadda... XD**

Chapter Four: Kolyat…Recruited?

Rayne was only waiting with Shepard on the Normandy for about ten minutes when Thane came aboard, Kolyat dragging his feet behind him. She figured they might have taken longer…perhaps the blue-scaled drell wasn't THAT much of a wimp.

"So," Shepard looked Kolyat up and down. "This is your son, eh Thane?" The younger one did look like his father, but judging from the cut on his neck, the blood on his face, and the bruises forming on various parts of his body, he wasn't as tough.

Kolyat looked up when Shepard started to speak, and had to do a double-take. Standing in front of him were two Raynes! One of them looked a lot less uptight and cold, but he didn't like looking at two of her. The Rayne he had already had the…_pleasure_ of meeting had her arms folded across her chest, staring at him with that same smug look she had when they briefly parted ways. He hated that look, and wished he could just smack it right off her face, but he still wasn't very comfortable hitting a woman…even if that woman had just beaten the daylights out of him. "The name's Kolyat," he muttered, scowling at the floor.

"Well." The un-bandaged Rayne shifted her weight onto her right leg. "Nice to meet you, kid. I'm Commander Rayne Shepard." _So there really ARE two Raynes,_ Kolyat thought wearily. Shepard looked at Rayne. "He doesn't look as strong as you said he was, Faulkener." That took Kolyat by surprise. She told Shepard he was…strong? Complimented him? How…unexpected.

Rayne glanced at Kolyat, and then quickly glanced away; ignoring the shocked, almost flattered look he was giving her. "He may be scrawny—" Kolyat's eye twitched. Couldn't she just let him have that one compliment? "—but he's got the makings of a great fighter. If I wasn't…well, me, he probably could have taken me down. Kolyat has a decent amount of strength, and good reflexes for an amateur. With training, he could turn out to be as deadly as his father." He felt resentment build up in his chest. _I don't WANT to be like my father!_

"I see," Shepard said, nodding thoughtfully. "Yes, I understand what you mean. What are you suggesting I do with him?"

"He's much too brash and temperamental to be running about alone. He'll get himself killed," Rayne said with a scoff.

"Hello? I'm standing right here, y'know!" Kolyat said, lips pursing in annoyance.

Rayne ignored him. "I believe he should stay on the Normandy. He could be of use to you…" She glanced at Thane. "…and it would give Thane and his son the chance to talk comfortably." The older drell's attention snapped to Rayne, surprised. It seemed she was much more kind and thoughtful than she led people to believe… "The decision is yours, Commander. After all, this is your ship."

Shepard stared at Kolyat for a moment, who was starting to feel a little nervous. "Hmm…interesting. Y'know what, I think that's a great idea. Kolyat can stay on the Normandy…I can put him to work."

"Don't I get a say in this?" Kolyat cried.

"No," the Raynes responded simultaneously. Okay, that was a little creepy.

"Where will he be staying?" Thane wondered, speaking for the first time since they got back.

Rayne glanced at Shepard, hoping she put Kolyat somewhere close to his father. She may not get along with Kolyat, but she did want them to make up. …She hated seeing family at odds with each other… "He can stay in Life Support, with you," Shepard decided, dismissing Kolyat's sudden protests with a wave of her hand. "Listen up, Krios," she said, taking a step towards Kolyat. "You're on my ship now. MINE. That means you play by my rules, follow my orders. Is that clear?" Kolyat scowled, but nodded. "Glad to hear it." Her tense expression softened, and she patted him on the shoulder. "C'mon, I'll show you around. And I'm sure the crew would love to meet you." _Shepard seems a lot nicer than Rayne,_ Kolyat thought. _Plus, she didn't tackle me as soon as she saw me._ His mind drifted back to that moment, and he felt his face heat up again before he quickly returned to reality. If he lost himself in that memory, it would be INCREDIBLY embarrassing.

"Fine. I'm coming," Kolyat said, following Shepard as she started her tour of the ship.

Rayne watched them go, no emotion on her face whatsoever. She knew Kolyat hated her, and it wasn't surprising, but he would thank her for this someday. She would do whatever was in her power to bring the two drell closer together…that is, if Thane didn't do a good job of it himself.

_This girl…I can't quite figure her out, _Thane thought, as he watched Rayne watch his son. _She shows kindness, but then covers it with cold stares or harsh words. _He put his hand on her shoulder, startling her out of her thoughts. "Thank you, Rayne," he said, his voice deep and gentle with sincerity. He noticed her cheeks turn a reddish color, and wondered if that was the human sign of embarrassment. "You have done more than I could ever ask for."

Rayne gave him one of her rare smiles. "It was no trouble." She looked back at Kolyat again, just as him and Shepard disappeared into the elevator. "Your son loves you, Thane. His anger is just clouding his mind." She put her hand on the hand that still rested on her shoulder. "He will get over his resentment. And I'll help him get there any way I can."

Thane simply observed Rayne for a moment. "You are a very kind person," he said, not missing the look of surprise he got when those words left his mouth. She turned her head away, but not before he saw her expression darken.

"No…I'm not," she muttered, Thane's hand falling to his side when she stiffly walked away. He stared after her, confused at her sudden change in attitude._ What was that about…?_

_**TWO WEEKS LATER**_

"Keep your hands up!" Garrus yelled.

Kolyat raised his fists to his chin, scowling at the turian in front of him. A moment later, Garrus swung his clawed fist at Kolyat's face, and he stepped back to avoid being punched.

"There you go!" Garrus laughed. Kolyat aimed a punch at his face, and he leaned back just in time, the drell's fist skimming his cheek. "Oooh, that was a close one." Before Kolyat could react, Garrus suddenly kicked his feet out from underneath him, sending him straight to the floor. They were both breathing heavily, but Garrus laughed as he pulled Kolyat to his feet. "I think that's good for today. You're improving a lot, kiddo!" The turian gave him a pat on the back, and then walked towards the door.

_I suppose he is_, thought Rayne, who had been watching their training session from atop a large pile of crates. Her gun training with Thane had ended for the day, and she decided to sneak into the cargo hold and watch Kolyat get smacked around a little. They hadn't spoken once in the couple weeks he's been on board, probably because he's still holding a grudge from when they first met. Rayne does tend to beat people up a lot…that seems to make them angry. Who knew? Well, at least Jack and Samara kept her entertained. They went out on the town a few times, and hanging with them was never boring. Especially with all the male attention they got…many of the guys who approached them left much worse for wear. But, Rayne did notice that Kolyat came down here often, and finally let her curiosity get the better of her. Turns out, he's been training the whole time. Kolyat didn't get smacked around as much as she expected, which was a definite sign that he was improving. She considered revealing herself to him when Garrus left the room, but decided to just observe him for a few moments.

_I'm not even close to being good enough to take down that stupid Faulkener woman,_ Kolyat thought bitterly, grabbing a towel and wiping the sweat off of his face. He hadn't forgotten his promise to himself (that he would get her back), and asked Garrus if he could train him. The turian was surprised and a little reluctant at first, but he eventually gave in. He also asked Jacob to train him in biotics and weaponry. So, as he did odd-and-end jobs around the Normandy, his first couple weeks on the ship have been filled with constant training. Not that he minded. He liked the hard work; it gave him something to do.

Rayne watched him silently, taking this chance to get a good look at him. His facial features were a bit sharper than his father's, making him look more mature than he probably was. She was too far away to see any other notable features on his face besides the black pentagon shape on his forehead (which he and his father shared) and the two crescent shapes beside them, so she allowed her eyes to wander downward, feeling a bit pleased that the tight leathers he wore left little to the imagination. His shoulders and chest were broad, and he had a lean, muscular build, letting Rayne get a good look at his biceps even from the distance she was at. Kolyat's shirt showed off his flat stomach and a little bit of his abs. Eyes wandering down even more, Rayne took in his slim waist, gaze lingering on his backside for just a moment before looking down at his long legs. She was all too aware that she was shamelessly checking him out, but as long as he didn't notice, she had nothing to be ashamed of. Besides, even though Kolyat could have a bratty attitude…she liked what she saw. She liked it a lot.

"Why does everyone treat me like a child on this ship…?" Kolyat suddenly mumbled to himself, breaking Rayne out of her little trance. He was obviously unaware of her icy eyes on him, so she quietly slipped off of the crates, sneaking up behind him.

"Maybe because you are a child." Kolyat whirled around at the sound of Rayne's voice, his arm coming up just in time to block the kick that was aimed at his head.

"How long have you been in here?" Kolyat asked, eyes narrowing at the woman that stood before him. Her bandages had been shed, but a long scar still remained on her face, others added to her arms and legs. Her eyes were as cold as ever, but he noticed that her cheeks were slightly reddened, making him feel curious. He heard from Garrus that when a human's cheeks got red, that meant they were blushing, which usually meant they were embarrassed.

"A couple hours," she said nonchalantly, eyes sparkling with mischief when he recoiled in shock.

"Two hours?!" Kolyat cried in disbelief. That meant she had seen his entire training session! He put his hands behind his back, unaware that he was standing just like his father usually does. "Wh…what did you think?" he asked, feeling a bit shy all of a sudden. _What?! Why did I ask that?! I don't care what she thinks! _he yelled in his mind.

"You're getting better," Rayne said, surprising Kolyat with the rare praise. "Still no match for me, though," she continued with a smirk.

"Why can't you just stay nice for more than half a second?" Kolyat asked in irritation. Rayne chuckled, causing her face to soften and her eyes to shine. _And why can't you smile more?_ he added in his mind, his eyes lingering on hers in fascination. What would she look like when she really laughed? Her face was so much more welcoming when she didn't look like she was about to freeze you solid with her eyes.

"Kindness doesn't suit me," Rayne said sarcastically. She put her weight on one leg, folding her arms across her chest and smirking at him, giving her the look of a thug.

"Maybe you should try it out," Kolyat retorted, "Maybe it'll suit you better than you think."

"Maybe you should grow up." Rayne stuck her tongue out at him, making him raise one of his eye ridges.

"Says the girl who stuck out her tongue like a child." Kolyat tilted his head, looking at her like she was stupid.

"Alright, _leanai_," Rayne said, her Irish accent slipping out. "Let's see who's really the adult here." Kolyat didn't expect her to have such an intriguing accent, or speak a language his translator didn't pick up. But he liked the way her voice sounded, the foreign way the words she spoke just rolled off of her tongue. He didn't have time to speculate, however, because Rayne suddenly kicked him in the back of the knees, making him crumple to the floor.

"Can't we talk for more than five minutes without you trying to kill me?" Kolyat demanded with annoyance. Rayne knelt beside him, her smirk widening.

"If I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead," she said confidently. Jumping up, she bounced backwards when Kolyat lashed out with his hand, grabbing for her arm. "Get your ass up, and we'll see how much you've improved." She grinned down at him, eyes clearly stating a challenge, which he was eager to accept. He liked this energetic side of Rayne, but that didn't make him like HER. He still wanted to kick her ass into next week.

"You're going down, Faulkener," he said confidently, staring her straight in the eyes. Rayne bounced around a little, cracking her neck and knuckles.

"In your dreams, _leanai_." She made a taunting motion with her hand, beckoning him to come at her. Kolyat didn't fall for it, choosing instead to circle her, like a hungry hawk circling his prey. "Don't be afraid, I don't bite…" Her eyes flashed. "…hard." Kolyat knew what she meant, but his mind couldn't help but wander to…other places. _Stop that!_ he scolded himself. _You hate this woman, you can't be attracted to her!_

"I'm not afraid, just waiting," Kolyat corrected. "For you to make the first move."

Rayne rolled her eyes. "You're like a teenage girl waiting for her crush to ask her out," she mocked. "You're just a coward, making excuses. You wanna take me on, then come at me!" She pounded her fist against her collarbone. "If you think you're ready to go out in the field and fight, then prove it!"

Kolyat suddenly stopped circling her, his raised fists falling limply at his sides. "But that's just it," he muttered. "I'm NOT ready to go out in the field and fight, not even close. If I'm not good enough to land a hit on you or shoot a rapidly moving target, I'm far from ready." He sighed, pursing his lips and turning his head away. "I can't shoot a moving target, and I'm pretty sure I can't land a hit on you," he admitted reluctantly. _Did he just admit defeat?_

"He admits it!" Rayne yelled, throwing her arms in the air with a triumphant gleam in her eye. _This brawl was over a lot quicker than I expected!_

Kolyat huffed, folding his arms across his chest. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up!" he snapped. "It wasn't easy admitting that you're a better fighter than me. Just drop it, okay?!"

Rayne gave a sly grin. "But gloating is soooo much fun!" she sang. When he glared at her, a small laugh escaped her lips. "I'm only kidding, don't get your panties in a wad." She sauntered up next to him and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't pout, Krios. If it helps…I'm sure you'll be able to take me someday. Maybe after a few months of training."

Kolyat pushed her arm away. "That doesn't help at all," he muttered. Was Rayne being…playful? Would she ever cease to surprise him?

"Don't be a sore loser, _leanai_!" Rayne said with a smirk. She rested her arm on his shoulder, leaning on him. "I'm sure you'll be able to best someone someday."

Kolyat rolled his eyes. "Get off me, stupid woman." He pushed her away with his shoulder, making Rayne snicker again. _What's gotten into her? She's acting almost…cheerful. Is she even capable of being cheerful? _"What does l…leanai…mean, anyway? You've called me that a few times," he said, completely butchering the foreign word.

"_Leanai_," Rayne corrected. She grinned, showing her white teeth. "It's the Irish word for 'child'."

Kolyat scowled at her. "I really, really hate you."

"Well, I don't hate you," Rayne said, her grin fading and an innocent expression taking its place.

"What?" Kolyat's arms unfolded, and he tilted his head in confusion.

"You're rash, short-tempered, and you have no self-control," Rayne continued, the insults making Kolyat sigh. "But I don't hate you. I just wish you'd swallow your pride and actually TRY to build a relationship with your father." Her brow furrowed, and she looked at him…almost sadly. "He does love you, you know. And you love him, no matter how much you may deny it."

Anger flared in Kolyat's chest. "What do you know?" he growled, his voice rising. "You don't know what it was like, growing up without a father there to guide you! You don't know what it was like to see your own mother, lying dead because of that same man!" He scowled down at the ground, tears blurring his vision. Images of his mother flashed in his mind, no matter how hard he tried to shove them back. "You have no idea how alone I feel," he finished quietly. _How dare she talk about this as if she knows all about it? I hate her!_

"I know more about that than you think," Rayne muttered. Kolyat looked up at her, surprised to see the sadness shining in her normally blank eyes. "You think you're the only one who's lost a parent?" She gave him a withering glare. "Maybe your father wasn't always there for you, but he still cares about you! He knows he can't make up for all those years he didn't spend with you, but he's trying to spend as much time with you as he can, while he still can!" She poked him hard in the chest, walking towards him and forcing him to take a few steps back. "You may have lost your mother, but your father is still here! That in itself makes you luckier than a LOT of children, and you just want to walk away from it! I would give anything to be able to turn back the clock and have a relationship with my father!" Kolyat stopped when his back hit a wall. Rayne glared up at him with tear-filled eyes, that and her words shook him to the core. The tough, cold-hearted Rayne Faulkener was standing before him, vulnerable, actually losing her cool. All because he refused to forgive his father? Did something happen to her father, or her mother? Could she actually sympathize with him?

"Faulkener…" Kolyat's eye ridges furrowed. She was starting to make him feel bad, both for her and for the way he was ignoring his dad, and he didn't expect her to be able to make him feel that way. "I didn't…"

"Just shut up," Rayne hissed, turning her back to him. Taking a deep breath, she slipped her hand into the pocket of her black pants, pulling out the small iPod that she had forgotten she had with her until she got new clothes at the hospital. "Maybe my words won't convince you," she said calmly. "But…I have something that I think you should hear."

"What is it?" Kolyat asked, his rumbling voice gentle. Her outburst of emotion, and her unshed tears, sapped away all his hostility.

"It's a song." She unwrapped the headphones and turned around, her brow furrowed deeply as she took Kolyat's hand, pressing the small device into his palm and holding out the headphones. "Just put these in and hit play."

Kolyat suddenly felt a little light-headed, the feeling of her hands on his making his pulse quicken. Her eyes, looking up at him with such innocent sorrow, made his mind foggy and subjected him to her will, and he slowly put in the headphones, his eyes never once leaving hers as he hit the play button. Deep, slow music started playing right after, and after a few seconds, a man's voice started singing.

"Sometimes he lets that boss get in his head.

He can't see past that mountain

Of deadlines on his desk.

Five o'clock, he's the last one out of the gate.

And he gets cut off, flipped off, ticked off,

Out on the interstate.

And he wonders why this world won't leave him alone.

Till he hears that little voice holler,

'Daddy's home'.

"Things that matter,

Things that don't."

Kolyat felt his eyes close of their own accord, Rayne's hands still covering the one that held the red device. These words reminded him of the rare moments when his father returned home…how excited he would be, and how tired Thane seemed when he walked through the door. But he always took a few moments to play with him, swinging him up in the air and sharing precious laughs.

"She's held on to that grudge all her life.

And thirty years of anger,

Since her dad walked out that night.

She thinks of all the moments that he's missed.

All the birthdays, ballets, first dates,

That seems too much to forgive.

She gets that call that said he don't have long…

She walks in, he starts cryin',

The past is gone.

"Things that matter,

Things that don't."

Kolyat's eyes snapped open, the song triggering an image of his father on a hospital bed, crying as the life slowly faded from his body, and he saw himself walking in, after so many years of refusing to speak to him. Warm tears fell down his cheeks as he shook his head vigorously, reaching up to take out the headphones, but Rayne caught his wrist, bringing it back down to his side and using her other hand to brush the tears off of his face. He looked down at her in despair, seeing a tear fall from her own icy eyes, as she stared back at him. 'Keep listening,' her eyes seemed to beg him. So he did.

"Time ain't on our side.

Don't wanna leave this world with

'Why didn't I', why didn't I…

Yeah, why didn't I?

"Sometimes I take on this world by myself.

Thinkin' I've got all the answers,

Don't need anybody's help.

God was right there, waitin' for me all along.

To fall down on my knees, surrender all.

"Things that matter,

Things that don't.

Things that matter,

Things that don't…"

The song slowly came to an end, and Kolyat hit the pause button, taking out the headphones and handing the iPod back to Rayne. "I…" He didn't even know what to say. That song had hit home, and it hit hard.

Rayne looked completely somber, wrapping the headphones back around her MP3 player and sticking it back in her pocket. "Time is running out for Thane…" She gave him a deep, meaningful look. "I suggest you spend what little time he has left with him. You'll regret it for the rest of your life if you don't, I guarantee it." She turned around again and looked over her shoulder at him, her eyes pleading. "…Please, Kolyat. You know in your heart that you have to talk to him. Listen to your heart, you stupid drell." With that, she picked up her trench coat and stormed out of the cargo hold, leaving behind a bewildered and shocked Kolyat. _How is it that she knows exactly what to do to make me second-guess myself?_ He sighed and sank to the ground, putting his face in his hands.

Neither of them were aware that a pair of black eyes had been watching them the whole time.

_**IN THE MESS HALL**_

"Hey there, Faulkener, glad you could join us," Garrus greeted Rayne when she stepped into the mess. She didn't eat with the rest of the group often, most of the time she kept to herself and ate in the Starboard Cargo room, where she could be alone.

"Have a seat, come eat with us today," Shepard said with a smile.

Rayne hesitated. "You guys looked like you were having fun, I don't wanna ruin it…"

"Oh, just sit your ass down," mumbled Grunt, who was still not used to seeing someone who looked just like his Battlemaster. He liked her attitude though, so he tolerated her.

Rayne slowly sat her plate of food beside Jack and sat in the empty seat. "So, Faulkener, we're all curious," Shepard leaned forward, leaning on her elbows. "What's your story?"

"My story?" Rayne looked surprised. She didn't expect anyone to want to get to know her, especially not with the way she behaved.

"Yeah," Tali said, her voice taking on a friendly tone, "Nobody knows anything about you. You're all mysterious, and that kind of makes some people nervous." Her face turned to Jacob, who was silently eating his food with a scowl on his face.

"Absence of files most intriguing," Mordin tilted his head. "But, would like to know basic information about you."

"Alright," Rayne said slowly. "What do you want to know?" She didn't notice Thane slip into the mess, with Kolyat not far behind.

"What were you doing before you joined the crew?" Samara asked, surprising everyone by asking the first question. She didn't eat with them much either, and neither did Jack, but ever since Rayne joined, they've been trying to get her to eat with everybody. So they started eating with them themselves.

Kolyat looked over the group sitting around the table curiously. _Seems like I got here just in time_, he thought. _They must be trying to find out some stuff about Rayne. _He heard from Kelly Chambers about how no matter where, or how hard, they searched, no one could find any files pertaining to the mysterious woman, not even birth records. It was incredibly strange, and some people found it suspicious.

"Hmm…" Rayne thought for a moment, trying to think of what to say without revealing that she was from an alternate universe. "Before I joined up with you guys, I ran with a gang," she said. Everyone in the room was thinking the same thing: _That isn't surprising at all._ "I've been running with them since I was fifteen, which was actually when the gang first started." She shrugged. "We haven't been going for as long as the big-shot gangs around here, but where I come from, everybody knew not to cross us…except for our rival gang, of course. We always showed them what's what, but their pride kept forcing them to come back for more." She shook her head. "That's one reason why men are idiots."

"Amen!" cried Shepard, Jack, and Miranda.

"Hey!" Garrus, Kolyat, Grunt, and even Jacob, pouted at her remark.

Rayne turned around, her gaze becoming locked with Kolyat's. Her eyes softened for a second, as did his, and they both remembered what had happened between them not moments ago. She was actually starting to view Kolyat in a new light, and vice versa, but she'd be damned if she let it show. Rayne wasn't even sure what had gotten into her down there…there was no way she should have lost her cool like that, especially in front of someone who hated her. There was just something about him… "Finally come up, have you?" she wondered flatly. _I guess it's back to that emotionless crap again,_ the blue drell thought wearily.

"Yeah," he answered, narrowing his eyes at her. He was trying to look irritated with the crimson-haired girl, but his irritation turned out to be rather half-hearted. He couldn't really bring himself to be mad at her like he usually is, probably from the unexpected show of emotion he saw earlier.

"Ooooh, I'm sensing a little hostility here," Jack sniggered. "What's the matter, Little Krios? Did Rayne reject you after you confessed your undying love for her or something?"

Kolyat's eyes widened, the ribbing on his neck brightening considerably. "What…no! Where the hell did that come from?!"

"Oh, so it was the other way around?" Jack asked, a shit-eating grin on her face. Rayne simply whacked her in the back of the head, her cheeks reddening with embarrassment. If it were anyone else, Jack probably would have blasted them into a wall, but Rayne was her buddy. Luckily for her.

"That is completely illogical," Rayne said, "There's no way I would consider a relationship with such an immature weakling." Even she didn't believe her own words. Rayne knew she was attracted to the young drell, but she would never tell anyone. Ever.

Thane watched his son and the girl he had almost come to think of as a daughter, amusement in his eyes. It was obvious to him that they were attracted to one another, no matter how hard they tried to hide it. He saw Rayne staring very intently at Kolyat down in the cargo hold, and he could occasionally catch his son sneaking glances at Rayne's backside when she walked by him. And the emotional moment they had shared earlier wasn't something normally shared between people if they hated each other.

Kolyat snorted. "Oh please, I'm sexy and you know it," he said, throwing her a cocky smirk. He may not be very strong, but Kolyat wasn't lacking in the self-esteem department.

Rayne scoffed at his show of confidence. "In your dreams, _leanai_!"

"Have you ever had a boyfriend before, Miss Faulkener?" Kelly Chambers slid into another empty seat, her question making most of the people at the table turn to Rayne curiously.

"No," she replied honestly and coldly. "All the men I come across are weak, cowardly, idiotic, egotistical, or scared shitless of me." Kolyat resisted the urge to laugh, he could see how that last part would keep guys away from her.

"Hey!" protested all the men around her.

"No offense," Rayne added, not sounding sincere at all.

"So, wait…" Kelly looked at her with wide eyes. "You've NEVER been in a relationship before? Like, ever?!"

"Not once," Rayne replied.

"So you're still a virgin!" she exclaimed, making a few people snicker.

Rayne facepalmed, feeling her face heat up in mortification. "Yes, Chambers," she sighed. "I'm still a virgin."

"Aw, how adorable!" Jack cried, trapping Rayne in a head-lock and giving her a noogie.

"Wow," Kelly seemed genuinely shocked. "But you're so beautiful! You should be fighting men off with a bat!"

"Her personality ruins it," Kolyat sneered. Rayne gave him a brief glare before wiggling out of Jack's grasp and returning to her meal.

"You're just upset because Faulkener doesn't find you attractive," Garrus teased.

"Ha! 'Upset', my ass. She finds me attractive, she just doesn't want to admit it," Kolyat said, choosing to eat his meal standing up since all the seats at the table were taken. Thane shook his head at his son's cockiness.

Rayne rolled her eyes, finishing up her small meal and standing on her feet. She washed off her plate and set it in the sink. "Goodnight, everyone," she said, giving the people at the table a pleasant nod. "Krios." She stiffly acknowledged Kolyat, making his eye twitch again. She really knew how to get on his nerves.

"Faulkener." Rayne's shoulder bumped into his when she walked by him, and they exchanged a smirk before she started to walk away. He stared at her back as she left, but the swaying of her hips made his attention switch to a…lower region.

"Quit staring at her ass and eat your food," Shepard said with a grin. Everybody besides Kolyat laughed, the poor drell lowering his eyes to his food in embarrassment.

"I, uh…" Kolyat cleared his throat. "I don't think I'm very hungry." He set his plate in front of Gardner, telling him to save it so he could eat it tomorrow. "Goodnight everyone."

"Goodnight, Kolyat!" They called in unison as he hurried away.

_He so thinks she's hot,_ they thought, a couple of them secretly plotting ways to get them together.

_**IN LIFE SUPPORT**_

Kolyat threw his jacket on the floor beside his little cot, stripping down to the tight shorts he wore to bed. The past couple weeks had been rather mind-blowing for him, and he still wasn't sure if he could believe it. Lying down on his bed, he pulled the blanket up to his waist and stared at the ceiling, one arm behind his head and the other resting on his stomach. First, his assassination attempt gets thwarted by a crazy red-headed bitch, the same woman who then proceeds to beat him senseless. If that wasn't enough, she brings his father along with her, and gets him dragged onto the SSV Normandy. There, he gets recruited by the one and only Commander Shepard, a woman who looks almost exactly like Rayne. That obviously wasn't crazy enough, because then he began to undergo training from various members of her crew, some of which have been with her since the beginning, at the famous battle on the Citadel. However, he couldn't help but think that meeting Rayne Faulkener had been the most mind-blowing experience of them all.

True, he had hated the woman with a passion when they first met, but…he had seen a side of her that no one could have foreseen that she would have. He had seen her playfulness, her rage-filled sadness, her gentle innocence, her laughter… He wanted her to show that side more often. Her almost-smiling face popped up in his mind, but this time, he didn't try to dispel the memory. It was a good one, and one he was determined to see more of.

_I'm going to make her smile,_ he decided. _A real smile._

_What are you thinking?_ Another voice in his head scolded him. _You should hate that woman! Whatever happened to wanting to get her back for how she made a fool of you? Don't you still hate her?_

'_Well, I don't hate you.'_

Kolyat nearly gasped when Rayne's voice rang clear through his mind. He remembered her saying that, and the way her eyes had softened when she looked at him with an expression devoid of her usual anger or coldness…and the warmth of her hands over his, the way his heart skipped a beat when her soft fingers brushed his tears away, and how gentle she looked when she started to cry with him. His heart started to beat a little faster. He couldn't seem to rid himself of thoughts of Rayne, until his father walked through the door, pulling him back to reality.

Kolyat and Thane never really got an opportunity to talk, even with as much time as he spent on the Normandy. At night, Kolyat was usually asleep before Thane came back, or vice versa, and in the morning, one of them was normally gone before the other. This was the first time he had been alone with his father, and he suddenly remembered the song Rayne had shown to him, the pleading look she gave him before she left the cargo hold, and the words she had said to him.

'_You know in your heart that you have to talk to him. Listen to your heart, you stupid drell._'

It was hard to admit, but Kolyat knew she was right. He was going to have to talk to Thane sooner or later. If he didn't, he realized that he would regret it, the 'what-ifs' would plague his mind forever. So, he decided that now was as good a time as any. Sitting up, he leaned on his elbows at stared nervously at Thane. "…Father?"

Thane looked over at his son, stopping in the middle of stripping down to his nightclothes. "Yes?"

Kolyat looked down, suddenly unable to keep eye contact. "Can we…can we talk for a while?"

**A/N:**** Phew! That was a bit emotional, eh? Poor Kolyat, Rayne's odd behavior's making him feel confused! But, at least she got through to him. Wow, this chapter was a lot longer than I intended for it to be… Actually, I hadn't even planned out Rayne and Kolyat's little moment in the cargo hold. The scene just…wrote itself, I guess. And every time I thought it was good enough, another idea would pop into my head, or I would think of something I could add or change…but, I finally settled on this. Anyway, I hope you liked it! ^-^ The next chapter is already being written! **


	5. Author's Note

Okay, so it looks like FFN isn't letting anyone review the last chapter...probably because I deleted the author's note, so chapter 3 was technically chapter 4, and it won't let you review twice. XD So, I'm adding this Author's Note for anyone who read the latest chapter, and wanted to review, but couldn't! ^-^


	6. Chapter 5

**Man, I'm on a roll today. :3 Here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it, because I really enjoyed writing it!**

**Disclaimer:**** *sigh* You know the drill. I own Rayne Faulkener, Bioware owns everything else. STOP REMINDING ME. *sobs in a corner***

Chapter Five: Say My Name.

"You ready, Faulkener?"

Shepard stood inside the Kodiak, arms folded across her chest. It had been a little over a month since Rayne had started training with weapons, and from the way Thane spoke, she was a quick learner. Something told her that her mysterious look-alike had actually used a gun before…she just hadn't been very good at it at the time. Now, Shepard was bringing her to Pragia to test out her skills, and to help Jack out on the little favor she had asked of the commander.

Rayne approached the shuttle, dressed in the armor Jacob had made for her (with no "incorrect measurements" or traps, much to her surprise). It was a lighter material, since she was so used to running around in clothes instead of armor. Her legs were covered with durable, jointed metal plates, her knees were spiked to give her an better advantage at close range, and the bottom of her armored combat boots were lightly spiked, to give her extra traction on the ground and to make stomping on an opponent's face much more affective. The torso of her armor consisted of a dark red, flexible metal that would allow her to bend more easily, even with its durability and slight thickness. Her shoulders were plated more heavily, but still let her move around more than with normal armor. They were black, like the leather that covered her legs where the silver plates didn't. She wore silver metal gauntlets, with almost every joint on her hands spiked, to make her punches pack more of a…punch. A trail of dark red cloth was connected to her armor at the waist, and trailed behind her like some kind of cape. Her armor hugged every curve of her body quite nicely, making the men on the ship give her admiring looks as she passed. She didn't wear a helmet (she claimed that they were annoying and hindered her vision), so everyone could clearly see the fire in her icy eyes, and the look of pure confidence on her face. "Yes, Commander," she replied. "I'm ready."

"Good." Shepard stepped aside, letting Rayne board the shuttle. "Alright, take us in," she shouted, banging on the little door that separated them from the pilot.

"Right away, ma'am." The side door of the shuttle closed, and the three women sat in their seats as the shuttle took off.

_**IN THE CARGO HOLD**_

"Hey, way to go, Krios!" Jacob applauded Kolyat, who had just tossed one of the drones he was fighting into the air, shooting it on its way down.

Kolyat grinned, lowering his gun and taking a deep breath. He was training with Jacob on combining biotics and combat today, and he was doing pretty well, if he did say so himself. "Thanks."

"You've really come a long way since Faulkener first had you dragged onto this ship," Jacob said, giving Kolyat a brotherly noogie. "You're not such a kid anymore, kid!"

Kolyat laughed and pushed Jacob away, sticking his tongue out at him. "Well, I've had some pretty good teachers." It was true, he didn't seem like such a child anymore, and everyone on the ship was starting to notice. Besides the people he was particularly close with, nobody talked to him or treated him like he was a kid anymore, and he was getting more admiring glances from the women than he did when he first arrived. His muscles were getting bigger, and he looked much more like a man than he had a little over a month ago.

"Alright, enough showing off, I think we're done for today." Jacob gave Kolyat a pat on the shoulder. "Go on up to the mess, I'll be up in a minute."

"Okay." Kolyat smiled at Jacob, before picking up his jacket (which he had taken off before training started) and walking into the elevator.

"There he is!" Garrus said when Kolyat emerged from the elevator. "We saw you down there, Little Krios. Looks like you'll be ready for your first real mission soon, eh?"

Kolyat chuckled sheepishly. "Yeah, I hope so." He looked around, expecting to see Rayne leaning against a wall somewhere, or talking to Jack and Samara like she usually is. But he couldn't see Jack, either. "Hey, where's Faulkener?"

"She went with Shepard and Jack," Grunt grumbled. "Jack had something to take care of on Pragia, and she brought Faulkener along with them. That was…a few hours ago."

Kolyat's eyes widened a fraction. "She went on a mission with Shepard?" he asked, surprised. He felt a twinge of worry, surprising himself by hoping she came back safely.

"What's the matter, Kolyat?" Tali giggled. "Are you worried about her? How sweet."

Kolyat folded his arms across his chest, looking away defiantly. "Worried? About that bitch? Don't make me laugh."

"You can't fool us," Garrus teased. "You don't really hate her…you think she's H-O-T!"

Kolyat blushed. "What—that's crazy! What the hell would give you that idea?!" he protested.

"Well," Samara tilted her head, staring at the young drell blankly. "The way you are constantly staring at her rear-end is a very obvious sign that you find her attractive."

Kolyat's eyes widened. "I…I don't…I mean, you…"

His sudden stammering caused everybody that surrounded him to laugh. "Don't worry kiddo, we won't tell!" Garrus sniggered.

"You should probably try to hide it better," Thane said, putting his hand on his son's shoulder. "It is only a matter of time before she starts to notice, as well."

Kolyat facepalmed. Even his father noticed! "Shut up," he mumbled. "You guys are embarrassing me!"

"If it's any consolation," Kelly smiled at him. "I think you two would make an ADORABLE couple."

"I don't like her, okay?!" he snapped.

"Don't like who?"

Kolyat whirled around, hearing Rayne's voice behind him. He nearly stumbled backwards when he found her only a foot away from him, hands on her hips, with a calm, yet curious expression. "Speak of the devil," Garrus mumbled, earning a smack on the head by Tali. Kolyat glared at him, then turned back to Rayne.

"No one. We were just…" Kolyat trailed off when he took in her outfit, eyes almost bugging out of his head at the way her armor showed off her body. He could just barely see the top of her breasts, and the leather hugged her flat stomach and curvy hips in an amazing way. The metal plates didn't ruin the look at all; in fact, they amplified it, giving her this sexy, medieval look. He was drawn out of his fantasizing by Rayne snapping her fingers in front of his face, looking slightly irritated and more than a little embarrassed. His staring was actually making her feel a little self-concious.

"My eyes are up here, Krios." Everybody around them tried to keep from laughing at the way the purplish-red hue on Kolyat's neck turned into a brighter, pinkish color, and he looked away from her in embarrassment. Even his own father couldn't help but chuckle a little at seeing his son act like a lovesick teenager.

"I, uh…" Kolyat struggled to find the right words to redeem himself, and his eyes couldn't help but wander back over Rayne…which was when he noticed the blood. "Hey…what's that?" he asked, pointing to the spot on her side, that had blood oozing out onto her gauntlets.

"Hmm?" Rayne glanced down at where he was pointing, then shrugged. "It's just a flesh wound. I got distracted while trying to take down a krogan, and one of his varren came up and bit me." Kolyat also noticed a bruise on her face, and she had a split lip.

"You didn't…you didn't try to fight the krogan hand-to-hand, did you?" he asked warily.

Rayne looked nonchalant. "I didn't 'try'. Krogans are tough, but I'm sure that one was sorry he ever tried to take me on, judging from the way I stabbed him right between the eyes."

Kolyat tried to imagine a big, fully-armored krogan wrestling with the much smaller, much softer Rayne, but his mind couldn't even comprehend it. He shook his head vigorously, focusing on why he asked her about the wound in the first place. "Anyway, why haven't you gone to the Med Bay yet?" he demanded, staring at her with a stern, concerned look in his eyes.

Rayne blink, his sudden concern catching her off-guard. "I didn't think it was a big deal," she said. "I can hardly feel it now, and besides, I wanted to get some food to bring down to Engineering for me and Jack…" The tattoo-covered woman had stormed off to her little hidey-hole as soon as they got back to the ship, so Rayne wanted to get her something sweet and try to cheer her up.

"Did you ever stop to think that the reason you can't feel it is because it the varren may have been poisonous?" Kolyat dead-panned. Rayne tilted her head, obviously she hadn't thought of that at all. He stomped over to her and grabbed her by the hand, dragging her towards the elevator. "Come on, you're going to see Dr. Chakwas right now!"

"But I'm hungry…" Rayne complained, allowing herself to be dragged along.

"Butts are for sitting, you need to get that bite checked out!" There was no way Kolyat was budging on this issue, but he was surprised that Rayne was allowing him to pull her along so easily. He actually expected her to flip him on his back for even touching her…maybe the varren was poisonous after all.

_**IN THE MED BAY**_

"Oh dear, that doesn't look good at all," Dr. Chakwas commented when Rayne walked into the Med Bay. "Why didn't you come get this looked at sooner?"

"She was being stubborn," Kolyat drawled, earning himself a half-hearted glare from Rayne, which he responded to with an innocent smile.

"Come sit over here, dear." Dr. Chakwas gestured to one of the beds, and the pale-eyed girl sighed and did as she was told. "Let's get this armor off so we can judge the damage, hmm?" She started to unbuckle the buckles on Rayne's back, and Kolyat immediately turned around, covering his eyes.

"Well, aren't you a gentleman," Rayne teased. The poor man was obviously embarrassed about being in the room while she was being stripped, so why didn't he leave? Perhaps he really was worried about her, and wanted to stay and make sure she was alright? How sweet of him.

"Okay, let's have a look…" Dr. Chakwas whistled. "That varren really did a number on you, young lady." Kolyat turned around, his curiosity getting the better of him, and breathed in sharply.

It wasn't just the sight of her in a sports bra and tight boy-short underwear that made him freeze, either. She had a wide stretch of bite-marks on her right side, all the little teeth marks were still dripping blood. What made his blood boil most of all, however, was the purplish-blue color the veins around the wound had turned, making them completely visible. "That varren WAS poisonous," he growled. "I knew it!"

Dr. Chakwas gave Rayne a concerned frown. "You didn't feel any kind of pain in the rest of your body after the varren bit you?"

"Well, at first, yes," Rayne admitted. "But then it just went numb, so I didn't pay any attention to it." The doctor shook her head.

"This is not good. That poison could be halfway through your bloodstream by now…we need to get it out of your system right away." She made Rayne lay down. "I'm going to have to stick you with multiple needles, which are hooked up to thin tubes that will draw out most of the poison," she explained. "I'll give you a sedative so you won't feel most of the pain. Alright?"

"Sure thing, lass," Rayne replied, her Irish accent slurred as a wave of light-headedness washed over her.

"Kolyat, could you come hold her shoulders down for me? We don't want her thrashing around while the poison still has a hold of her mind," Chakwas said.

"Of course," he replied, quickly moving to Rayne's side and putting his hands on her shoulders, holding her down firmly.

"Thank you." Chakwas proceeded to stick a syringe in Rayne's arm, filling her with a sedative before sticking the first needle in her side.

"'M jus' fine," Rayne mumbled. "Y' don' need t' waste yer time on lil' ol' me…"

"Shh," Kolyat said. "You're delirious."

"YER delirious," Rayne giggled. She rubbed her fingers over the top of one of his hands, moving her head so she could rub her cheek against it. "Heehee, yer scales're so smooth," she said with a happy smile. Kolyat felt his neck brighten, his body tensing at her touch. Time seemed to go by painfully slowly with her face and fingers pressed against his hand, and he jumped when she suddenly started moving around.

"Hold her down, Mr. Krios," Chakwas reminded him.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly, his mind focused once again. He held her down firmly, keeping her in place no matter how much she tried to move about.

"Almost there…" The older woman stared intently at a monitor, which displayed the poison levels in her patient's body. Rayne gradually stopped moving as the level dropped. "And…done." She shut off the machine as soon as the level hit 10%. She started removing the tubes from Rayne's side and limbs, and as she started wrapping up her wounds, she gave Kolyat a smile. "Thank you for your help, Kolyat. You can leave if you want to, or you can stay until she wakes up." Kolyat glanced down at the scarred girl's face. He hadn't noticed that she had fallen asleep. "She should wake up in an hour or so, thankfully I didn't have to use very much sedative."

"I think I'll stay, if that's alright with you," Kolyat said, his eyes never leaving Rayne's face.

"It's perfectly alright." Chakwas stood up. "I'm going to the mess to eat and take a break for a little while. If she wakes up before I come back, make sure she doesn't do anything strenuous." She winked at him, before walking through the door and shutting it behind her. She wasn't taking a break at all…she heard from Kelly that Kolyat may be starting to like the girl, and she saw how gentle and concerned he was when he looked at her, so she wanted to give them some time alone. Kolyat stared at the doctor's back as she left, then sat in a chair on the opposite wall from Rayne's bed. _One hour, huh…?_

_**HALF AN HOUR LATER**_

Rayne's eyes fluttered open. _My head feels funny…_ Sitting up, she looked around, surprised to find herself sitting in the med bay. _I don't remember coming here…_

"Faulkener." Kolyat sat up when she did, worried. _She shouldn't be awake for another half hour._ "How are you feeling?"

"Just dandy," Rayne said, her mind too foggy to try and suppress her accent. She threw the sheet she had been covered with onto the floor, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and getting to her feet. She wobbled for a moment, her head spinning, then steadied herself by placing her hand on the wall.

"You shouldn't be up yet, the sedative hasn't worn off," Kolyat protested, getting up and taking her by the arm. "Get back in that bed, Faulkener." She looked up at him, her blue eyes wider than usual, giving her a look of innocence.

"You're not the boss of me," she huffed, taking a step towards him. Her closeness made Kolyat take a step back, and she kept walking towards him, before long he found himself backed into a wall again. He let go of her arm, but she still came closer. "Stop calling me Faulkener," she grumbled suddenly.

Kolyat blinked, trying to clear his head. She was REALLY close… "Wh-what?"

"Ya never call me by my first name," she said, seeming to grow impatient. "Stop it."

"I-I don't…" Kolyat froze when Rayne slid her arms around his neck, slowly bringing her face closer and closer to his. "Wh-wh-what are you doing?"

"Shhh," she whispered. Their lips were dangerously close to touching, and the feeling of her breath ghosting across his face sent shivers down Kolyat's spine. Then, she slowly kissed his cheek, and he could hear blood pounding in his ears. "Say my name," she said softly.

"I…"

"Say it." Rayne brought her body so it was flush with Kolyat's, making a warmth spread throughout his body.

"R…Rayne," he stuttered. The corners of her mouth lifted into an innocent smile, and she nuzzled his neck.

"Good boy." She held onto him for a few moments longer, before she suddenly went limp, startling Kolyat and almost making him fail to catch her. But he got her right before she hit the ground, and he took deep breaths to calm his pounding heart and quick pulse. Scooping her up in his arms, he put her back in her bed, covering her with the sheet and turning to leave the room. Something made him stop and look back at her, however, and he was met with the sight of the human woman curled up in a ball, the smile never leaving her face.

"Kolyat…" she whispered softly in her sleep, putting her arms around her pillow and snuggling into it. The sight brought a smile to Kolyat's face and made his chest feel warm, the spot where she kissed him still tingling.

"Sleep well," he said quietly. Then, he slipped out of the room, her sweet smiling face forever preserved in his perfect memory.

***Well, there you have it! I wanted to add a little chapter purely for some Kolyat/Rayne fluff, I hope I did a good job! Did you like it?! :D Make sure to review and tell me what you think! ^-^***


	7. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! Welcome to another chapter of Born For This! I just wanted to let you know that I am starting another Mass Effect story, with Thane as the love interest, for any Thane fans that may be reading! It's called "Looks Can Be Deceiving". I hope you'll check it out!**

**Disclaimer****: Bioware owns Mass Effect, and everything except for Rayne...blah, blah, blah...XD**

Chapter Six: Rayne's Loyalty Mission, Part 1.

"Krios, keep that barrier up!"

_**SLAM!**_

"Yeah, I'm trying!"

_**WHACK!**_

"Faulkener, watch the left side of the chamber!"

"Yes, ma'am."

It's not easy trying to get to a Reaper indoctrination device with hundreds of Husks coming at you. Rayne knew this from her play through of Mass Effect 2, but experiencing it first-hand is heart-pumping and incredibly frustrating. No matter how many Husks they killed, more just kept coming! Rayne never liked Husks, but this was just ridiculous.

"You know where this thing is, don't you?" Shepard scooted beside Rayne behind the cover of a rock. Rayne nodded. "Good, we're finally getting a bit of that promised info out of you. I hate to send one of my own into this, but…" Shepard frowned, and Rayne knew what she was about to say. And she was flattered that Shepard thought of her as 'one of her own'.

"Don't worry about it." Rayne cracked her neck. "I know exactly where the device is, and there are bombs already placed next to it. I can get to it quickly, if you and Kolyat can cover me."

"Bombs?!" Shepard's eyes widened. "Wait a minute, I can't let you go—"

"Shepard, I'm _volunteering_." Rayne stared at her with blank eyes. "I won't let myself get blown up, you can count on that. When I set off the bombs, though, you better be prepared to run like hell."

"Uh, guys! A little less chatting, a little more shooting, please!"

Kolyat's yell brought them back to the fight. Popping out of cover, Rayne sprayed the group of Husks surrounding Kolyat's barrier (which blocked off the path that led to Rayne and Shepard) with a hail of bullets, and they all fell to the ground, their loud moans fading. However, just as they died, another wave appeared. "Where are these things coming from?!" Kolyat growled, keeping the barrier up but sending a small shockwave towards them.

Rayne looked at Shepard, waiting for her to come to a decision. In response, Shepard paused, and then gave a reluctant nod. "Don't fail me, soldier," she said in her "Commander" voice. Rayne gave her a sharp nod, and then bolted towards the barrier.

"Hey, where are you going?" Kolyat demanded as she walked into his blue sphere.

"I'm going to go blow something up. You and Shepard better cover me…and be prepared to run like a thresher maw's at your heels." Rayne strode easily past him, shooting a path through the Husks and into the carved-out hall where the fiends were coming from. She didn't even give him time to reply. _Wait a minute…_ Kolyat frowned. _How the hell did she walk right through my barrier?_

"Get the fuck out of my way!" Rayne growled, using her knife to decapitate a Husk in one clean swipe. She used her assault rifle to blast through the three that were coming at her, and felt her heart skip a beat when a rush of air went over her shoulder. Looking back, she saw two Husks fall to the ground, courtesy of Shepard or Kolyat…she didn't know which, and right now, she didn't really care. Pressing on, she found the giant device in a manner of moments. "I found the device." She radioed Shepard and Kolyat through an earpiece. "Get ready to bail." Rayne didn't even wait for them to reply before kneeling next to one of the bombs, using her Omni-tool to start it up so she didn't have to waste time with buttons or wires. The clock immediately started counting down from five minutes, and she ran out of the hall, bowling through any Husk that stood in her way. "GO, GO, GO!" she screamed, and Shepard and Kolyat obeyed, dropping barriers and tightly clutching weapons as they made a beeline for the entrance. Rayne was a few feet behind them, and she could already hear the mine starting to crumble. It was not a welcome sound, not by a long shot.

"There's the entrance!" Shepard yelled. Rayne searched ahead with her eyes until she indeed spotted an oval of light. A.K.A, the entrance. "We're almost there!" Rayne checked the clock on her Omni-tool. They had 45 seconds…

"Gah!" Rayne's foot suddenly hit a rock, and she tumbled to the ground, her ankle twisting painfully. Her yell made Kolyat look back.

"Rayne!" He stopped, running to her and grabbing her firmly by the arm.

"What are you doing?!" she demanded, as the blue drell sprinted towards the exit, carrying her under his arm like she was some kind of parcel.

"Saving you, what does it look like?" Kolyat retorted. Rayne looked behind them, a rumbling sound reaching her ears.

"You better hurry the hell up, or we're both gonna—"

_**BOOM!**_

"SHIIIIIT!"

They reached the entrance just as the bombs went off, the explosion destroying the entire mine and blowing Kolyat and Rayne a few feet away from their original position, right at Shepard's feet. "It's about time you two showed up, I've been here for hours," Shepard said sarcastically, looking down at them with a smirk.

"What the FUCK were you thinking?!" Rayne growled, ignoring Shepard and glaring viciously at Kolyat, who blinked in response. "You could've gotten us BOTH killed, you idiot!"

Kolyat slowly recoiled, a scowl forming on his face. "I SAVED your ass, if you didn't notice," he huffed, getting to his feet and dusting himself off.

"I could have gotten out just fine on my own," Rayne said flatly, trying to get to her feet as well. But when she stepped on her right foot, a slight jolt of pain shot up her leg, and she hissed. Kolyat folded his arms across his chest, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Oh yeah. With that ankle, you could have run through the Citadel and back again," he deadpanned. Rayne scoffed.

"I just twisted it a little. Nothing a little medi-gel won't fix." She picked up the pistol that had fallen to the ground from the blast and limped back to the shuttle. Shepard and Kolyat stared after her, both of them completely bewildered; neither of them knowing what had gotten into Rayne.

"Is it just me, or does she seem meaner than usual?" Kolyat muttered to Shepard. She sighed and shook her head.

"I'll find out what's wrong with her once we get back to the Normandy. For now, just try not to provoke her, got it?"

"What? Me, provoke her?! You've got it backwards, Commander." Shepard rolled her eyes. Just when everybody thought that maybe they were starting to get along, they had to find some excuse to hate each other again. Even though it was obvious to EVERYONE that they were attracted to each other…even Rayne was starting to get caught staring at Kolyat when he wasn't looking.

"Just get in the shuttle, Krios."

_**ON THE NORMANDY / IN STARBOARD CARGO**_

"Alright, Faulkener, spill it."

Rayne looked up, stopping in the middle of polishing her knife. "Commander?" Her expression showed nothing. "What are you talking about?"

"You've been acting weird all week, dumbass." Jack walked up behind Shepard, followed by Samara. "You've been awfully bitchy, and you haven't been eating very much."

"I never eat very much," Rayne pointed out.

"But you ate enough," Samara said quietly.

"There's something on your mind," Shepard said. It wasn't a question. "Tell me what it is, and I'll do whatever I can to help you. I need my entire crew focused on the mission, you most of all. You've still got some info you're holding back, right?" She folded her arms across her chest. "Indoctrination devices and secret cargo is great and all, but not exactly mission-critical."

Rayne turned her head away, thinking for a moment. There WAS something on her mind, and it disturbed her greatly. She had hoped to take care of it herself, but there was no way she could do it alone. Taking a deep breath, she looked Shepard in the eye and said, "There are some things you don't know about me."

"Well, I knew that the first time I met you." Shepard tilted her head. "What's your point?"

Rayne sighed. "My situation is…unusual. And even though I cannot tell you exactly what my situation is, I can tell you something else." She stood up, walking a few feet away from them with her back facing them. "Last week, I received an email from my father."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. She wasn't sure where this was going, but from the look on Rayne's face, her apparent "daddy issues" weren't your typical ones. "What's so remarkable about that?"

Rayne exhaled out of her nose, brow furrowing deeply. "My father…he's not supposed to exist."

"You mean, he should be dead?" wondered Jack.

"Well, kind of." Rayne rubbed her forehead. "The message I got from my father…he was telling me…" She took a deep breath. How was she supposed to say this? It was difficult for her to even think about. "I'm not sure what he was telling me, exactly." She turned around, her face dead serious as usual…but her eyes were filled with swirling emotions. Confusion, frustration, anger…sadness. "But, I believe he knows something about my…situation. He is obviously not trying to hide his location, because it was not anonymous. I'm positive you could track it…" Her serious expression faltered, and for a moment, she seemed…unsure. "I…I don't even know if the one who sent the message truly IS my father. But I need to make sure…" Her grip on the knife she held tightened. "And if it really is him…after I get all the information I need, I'll be putting a bullet in his head."

Shepard blinked rapidly, surprised by the hatred Rayne seemed to hold for her father. "I take it you're not fond of your dad?" Rayne didn't reply. "…Alright, I'll see what I can do. I'll ask EDI, or maybe Tali, if she can track down the sender's location." Rayne's shoulder's dropped, and her expression softened into one of relief. She may have created this Shepard, but now the game character was her own person, and she wasn't sure how the commander would react.

"Thank you." Rayne's eyes flickered downward, before locking with Shepard's. "…This would mean a lot to me, Shepard."

_Wow. This is new, _Shepard thought. It wasn't often that the mysterious scarred woman asked favors of others…in fact, she was pretty sure she never had. It would be hard NOT to say yes to her…not that Shepard would refuse anyway. "I'll get to it as soon as possible. First, though, I'm gonna go chat with Joker…t-to see how the Normandy's holding up, of course."

"Wasn't that your excuse last time, Commander?" Samara wondered innocently.

"Wh-what? I, uh…must have forgotten about that. Anyway…bye!" Shepard slipped out of the room in a hurry, but not before Rayne caught a glimpse of her red face. She raised an eyebrow. The commander has been acting awfully strange when it came to Joker…she was going up to "see how the Normandy's holding up" at least five times in the last week and a half, and she seems to get flustered whenever someone asks her about it. And when they're out on shore leave, they're seen together more often than not…it was making Rayne suspicious. A relationship was obviously developing between them… Was that even possible? In the game, Joker isn't a romance option—which is a shame, because if he were, she would allow her Shepard to romance him at the drop of a hat. _Wait._ Could it be that, when Rayne got transported to the Mass Effect universe…those thoughts actually became a reality? Obviously, since she was here, Mass Effect was no longer a simple game. And the plot has already been altered a couple times…both with her arrival and the recruitment of Kolyat.

"I think Shepard's got a crush on the pilot," Jack said, voicing Rayne's thoughts. "She's got that 'puppy love' look in her eye…how sickening." She shook her head, wrinkling her nose like she smelled something bad. "Whatever. Hey, Rayne, you alright?" She turned her head to look at the red-headed girl. "Samara and I were gonna head down to Port Observation and get some drinks, but we'll stay if you want." Jack never ceased to surprise everyone with the way she treated Rayne…she still had her normal edge, but she seemed a bit…nicer. Gentler, even.

"I'm fine," Rayne replied smoothly. "Go ahead and go get your drinks. I need some time alone…so I can think." Jack stared at her for a moment, before nodding sharply and turning around.

"C'mon, Samara."

Samara nodded to Jack, but walked up to Rayne. Grasping her firmly by the shoulders, the asari justicar looked straight into Rayne's eyes. "Do not worry yourself too much. Shepard will help you with this…just as she helped the rest of us with our problems. You will be at peace soon." A frown slowly formed on Rayne's face, but she didn't respond when Samara gave her a brief hug and followed Jack out of the room.

_**TWO HOURS LATER**_

"Wow, did he really say that to you? How weird!"

Rayne watched as two asari strode past her, gossiping to each other. The Normandy crew had stopped at Ilium for shore leave, and everyone decided to go to the party that was going on at the bar. Rayne, however, was lurking OUTSIDE the bar, standing in a corner with an "I-hate-the-world" air around her that made people steer clear. Well…almost everyone.

"Hey Faulkener, whatcha doin' out here?"

Rayne looked surprised when Joker limped up to her, Shepard at his side.

"I'm standing," she deadpanned.

Shepard rolled her eyes. "Why aren't you inside the bar with everyone else? Jack and Samara are looking all over for you."

"It's too noisy," Rayne replied. Shepard sighed, grabbing her by the arm.

"'Too noisy' my ass. C'mon, there's a balcony you can go stand on…at least you'll be near the party." Despite Rayne's protests, the commander dragged her through the bar doors, making Joker snicker behind them.

"Yo, Rayne, there you are!"

Rayne resisted the urge to facepalm. Jack had called out to her from her spot on the dance floor…grinding against a random turian. "I'm going to go get a drink," she sighed, turning around and walking towards the bar.

Thane was leaning against a wall near the bar, arms folded across his chest. He didn't really expect to see Rayne walk in his direction…he figured she wouldn't come in the bar at all. It took a lot of convincing for HIM to even come. But there she was, dressed in a black T-shirt and ripped jeans, sauntering towards him with a troubled expression on her face. She took a seat on one of the empty stools, then ordered a drink from the bartender. "I am surprised to see you here," he said. Rayne looked over at him sharply, surprised to see Thane suddenly standing next to her.

"It wasn't exactly my choice…" she muttered. The bartender slid her drink over to her, and she took a large drink of it. "Parties don't seem like your scene either, Thane. What'd it take to get you in here?"

"Shepard guilted me into it," he said with a chuckle. Leaning against the counter, Thane stared at the girl beside him. She was like a daughter to him, and it saddened him to see her looking so down. "What is the matter? You do not seem like yourself today."

Rayne frowned. It was surprising, how many people seemed to notice her change in attitude. "I…I have a lot on my mind, _athair_." Even she saw the older drell as somewhat of a father-figure. Her romantic feelings for him had LONG since faded, and she still looked up to him, but she didn't treat him as though he were a god anymore. "Shepard will be taking me to find my father tomorrow…I feel…anxious."

"That is understandable," Thane said with a nod. He laid a hand on her shoulder. "Everything will turn out alright. With Shepard, everything does."

"Perhaps…"

Thane smiled slightly. "Why don't you go out on the balcony for some fresh air? Nobody else is out there at the moment…" In truth, he wasn't suggesting that simply so she could clear her head…Thane had caught Kolyat glaring at him out of the corner of his eye. It was obvious that his son wanted some time alone with Rayne…and what better place for it than a balcony?

Rayne sighed. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt." She gave him a small smile. "I'll see you later, Thane."

"Of course, my dear," Thane replied as she walked away from him. He looked over at his son and nodded in Rayne's direction, making Kolyat blink in surprise before hurrying after her. _Young love_, he mused in his mind, chuckling softly to himself when they both disappeared into the crowd.

_Why can't I calm down?_

Rayne drummed her fingers anxiously on the side of the balcony, staring out at the city beyond. "I wish you were here with me, Mother," she said quietly, looking up at the sky. "You always knew how to comfort me…" Her mother's face flashed in her mind, tears surfacing along with it. "He'll pay for what he did to you," she muttered with a shaky voice, "…But…I still doubt myself…"

"I never thought I'd hear you say those words."

She whirled around at the sound of another person's voice, a scowl forming on her face when she saw Kolyat standing in the doorway, smirking at her. "What do you want?" she demanded, quickly blinking back her tears.

"To talk, that's all," Kolyat replied, his smirk fading when he moved to stand beside her. "Why are you out here all alone?" he asked softly. Rayne frowned, turning to look over the balcony again.

"I needed to clear my head," she said. "However…it just seems to be getting even cloudier."

"Does your mother have something to do with that?"

Rayne stiffened when he mentioned her mother. _Damn._ "You heard that?"

"Mhmm." Kolyat leaned against the railing of the balcony, looking down at her with an unreadable expression. "You really shouldn't bottle things up. It tends to have a nasty effect on people."

"Stop acting like you care," Rayne snapped. "I've known from the very beginning how much you hate me."

"People don't risk their necks for someone they hate," Kolyat pointed out.

_Interesting…_ Rayne silently stared up at him, not speaking…just observing. All of the features of his face…every ridge, every design, every color…she etched into her memory. Even if she refused to admit it…she was starting to get a soft spot for this drell. He had managed to sneak a little ways past the walls around her heart…how he did it was beyond her. But affection wasn't something she was familiar with…and the thought of falling for Kolyat frightened her. Love made people vulnerable, and if there was one thing that scared Rayne the most, it was being vulnerable. "You have a point," she said slowly.

Kolyat observed her as she did to him, his eyes searching hers. After a few moments, he tilted his head and stated, "You never told anyone where you got those scars."

"No one ever asked," Rayne retorted. Kolyat rolled his eyes.

"Well, now I'm asking. Where'd you get those scars?"

Rayne sighed. She pointed to some of the scars on her arms. "I got these from several encounters with my old rival gang. They tend to play dirty…they pulled knives on us, hence the scars." She pointed to the other scars on her arms, her hands travelling down to the ones on her legs as well. "These, I got from falling through a window."

"And the one on your face?"

"Same thing," Rayne replied. "Just…a MUCH bigger glass shard."

"What about these ones?" Kolyat ran his fingers over the remaining scars on the inside of her arms, making her expression darken as she turned her head away.

"…I don't want to talk about those."

"Fair enough." Kolyat shifted, removing his hands from Rayne's arms. "So…why don't you tell me what's on your mind?" He gave her a charming smile, making her heart flutter.

She took a deep breath. "I…suppose there's no harm in telling you…" Kolyat took a step closer to her while she struggled to find the right words. "I..." A deep frown formed on her face. "I was recently contacted by my father. I'm going to go find him tomorrow. I haven't seen him since I was a little girl…he isn't even supposed to exist…"

"Wait." Kolyat stopped her. "You haven't seen your dad since you were little, and he's suddenly contacting you?" He tilted his head. "Sounds familiar…go on."

"I'm scared," Rayne said suddenly. Her confession caught Kolyat off guard. "All the memories I have of my father…" Tears formed in her pale eyes. "They're all horrible. He did such awful things to my mother and me…" Kolyat's eyes widened. It sounded as though…her father may have been abusive? That was the only explanation he could think of.

The teal drell did the first thing that came to his mind…he wrapped Rayne in a hug. "It'll be alright," he whispered. His breath tickled her ear, and his touch sent shivers down her spine. "I'm going to come with you tomorrow, okay? I'll make sure he doesn't hurt you."

Instead of flipping him on his back, like she usually does when people touch her, Rayne responded by sliding her arms around Kolyat's torso and squeezing her eyes shut. "I hate him," she sniffled. "I want him dead…I wanna be the one to put the bullet in his head…but I'm so scared!"

"Shh, I know," Kolyat murmured, rubbing her back soothingly. "Don't worry. I'll be right there beside you."

Rayne's eyes slowly opened. The gentleness in Kolyat's voice and touch made her heart beat slower and harder at the same time. He was comforting her… _If he doesn't stop being nice to me, I'll end up falling for him…stupid _leanai_..._ "Th…thank you, Kolyat," she said softly. _So I'm being nice to him now? What in the galaxy is wrong with me?_

"Now, why don't we go take your mind off all this?" Kolyat pulled back, giving Rayne a charming smile. She tilted her head, looking confused. "Let's go dance," he clarified. His charming smile transformed into a dark smirk, and his black eyes looked almost…predatory. "Dance with me, Rayne."

_I love how my name sounds with his voice…_ Rayne felt her knees get weak. No man has EVER made her knees get weak. Her stomach was doing somersaults, and as he pulled her back into the bar, she felt herself get a little light-headed.

She had a feeling this would be a memorable night.

**A/N:**** Uh-oh, Rayne's starting to get a little crush on the hot-headed drell… :3 But, what's this about her father?! How in the galaxy could he be in the ME universe, and what is Rayne's history with him?! You'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out! And don't forget to review, it makes me happy and motivates me to keep writing! ^-^**


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